Smartphone pedometers underestimate steps, but valuable health tool: study
VANCOUVER — A recent study looking at iPhone’s built-in pedometers is a step toward using the tool as a clinical intervention in improving people’s health, a University of B.C. researcher said.
Smartphones pose an opportunity for researchers to gather objective data on the public’s health and physical activity but before they can be used, the accuracy of the devices need to be tested, lead author Mark Duncan said in an interview Saturday.
“This was very much a first step to make sure that we understand what the data looks like and how well it represents the actual behaviour,” he said.
The study involved 33 participants testing the phones in regular living conditions and in a lab.