Validity of 10 Electronic Pedometers for Measuring Steps, Distance, and Energy Cost
Abstract
Purpose This study examined the effects of walking speed on the accuracy and reliability of 10 pedometers: Yamasa Skeletone (SK), Sportline 330 (SL330) and 345 (SL345), Omron (OM), Yamax Digiwalker SW-701 (DW), Kenz Lifecorder (KZ), New Lifestyles 2000 (NL), Oregon Scientific (OR), Freestyle Pacer Pro (FR), and Walk4Life LS 2525 (WL). Methods Ten subjects (33 +/- 12 yr) walked on a treadmill at various speeds (54, 67, 80, 94, and 107 m x min-1) for 5-min stages. Simultaneously, an investigator determined steps by a hand counter and energy expenditure (kcal) by indirect calorimetry. Each brand was measured on the right and left sides. Results Correlation coefficients between right and left sides exceeded 0.81 for all pedometers except OR (0.76) and SL345 (0.57). Most pedometers underestimated steps at 54 m x min-1, but accuracy for step counting improved at faster speeds. At 80 m x min-1 and above, six models (SK, OM, DW, KZ, NL, and WL) gave mean values that were within +/- 1% of actual steps. Six pedometers displayed the distance traveled. Most of them estimated mean distance to within +/- 10% at 80 m x min-1 but overestimated distance at slower speeds and underestimated distance at faster speeds. Eight pedometers displayed kilocalories, but except for KZ and NL, it is unclear whether this should reflect net or gross kilocalories. If one assumes they display net kilocalories, the general trend was an overestimation of kilocalories at every speed. If one assumes they display…
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Good step counters can record steps within ±3% during walking at 80.4 m/min (3 mph).
“Good step counters can record steps within this range during walking at 80.4 m/min, or 3 mph [12, 18, 24, 38, 39].”
From Step Counting: A Review of Measurement Considerations and Health-Related Applications (2017) · cites this paper as [38]
Valid assessments of physical activity have been found in adolescents using pedometers.
“Valid assessments of physical activity have also been found in adolescents [104].”
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- Authors
- CROUTER, S. E., SCHNEIDER, P. L., KARABULUT, M., & BASSETT, D. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
- Venue
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Published
- 2003-08
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1455-1460
- ISSN
- 0195-9131 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2142856621
- Cited by
- 899
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 60 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 63 · 2012: 69
- FWCI
- 11.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Context-Aware Activity Recognition Systems
- Keywords
- pedometers, step count accuracy, walking speed, energy expenditure estimation, distance measurement, treadmill walking
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Energy Metabolism, Female, Gait, Humans, Male, Physiology, Sensitivity and Specificity, Reproducibility of Results, Walking
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