The feasibility of using pedometers for self‐report of steps and accelerometers for measuring physical activity in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across an 18‐month intervention

Background Improving physical activity in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) is recommended to improve weight loss and general health. However, in order to determine the success of physical activity interventions, identification of feasible methods for assessment of physical activities is necessary. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of adults with IDD to track daily steps and wear an accelerometer. Methods Overweight/obese adults with mild to moderate IDD followed a diet and physical activity program for 18 months. All participants were asked to wear a pedometer and track steps daily by using a pedometer and to provide accelerometer data for 7 days at baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months. Adherence to the pedometer protocol and plausibility of the number of recorded steps were assessed, and these measures along with average wear time of the accelerometer were recorded. Results Data were collected from 149 participants (36.5 ± 12.2 years of age, 57% female). Participants recorded a step value on 81.5% of days across the 18‐month study, with 40.9% of written days classified as plausible. When wearing the accelerometer, 26.8% of participants met the recommended 4‐day/10‐h wear time criterion at baseline, and 22.6, 24.8 and 18.8% met the criterion at 6, 12 and 18 months, respectively. Conclusions Adults with IDD will adhere reasonably well to wearing a pedometer long term, but may be unable to record the step data accurately. Furthermore, adults with IDD have poor compliance with accelerometer protocols, and future studies should determine if a shorter wear time protocol would produce valid data in this population.