Effects of placement, attachment, and weight classification on pedometer accuracy.

BACKGROUND The purpose was to determine if waist placement of the pedometer affected accuracy in normal, overweight, and obese children, when attaching the pedometer to the waistband or a belt. METHODS Seventy-seven children (ages 10-12 years) wore 5 pedometers on the waistband of their pants and a belt at the following placements: navel (NV), anterior midline of the right thigh (AMT), right side (RS), posterior midline of the right thigh (PMT), and middle of the back (MB). Participants walked 100 steps on a treadmill at 80 m x min(-1). RESULTS The RS, PMT, and MB sites on the waistband and the AMT and RS sites on the belt produced the least error. CONCLUSIONS Of these sites, the RS placement is recommended because of the ease of reading the pedometer during activity. Using a belt did not significantly improve accuracy except for normal weight groups at the NV placement site.