Accelerometer measurement error in a randomized physical activity intervention trial in breast cancer survivors was nondifferential but attenuated the intervention effect

Abstract

Background

Physical activity reduces morbidity and mortality risk in cancer survivors, but a meaningful proportion of this vulnerable population are physically inactive. Targeted interventions can help cancer survivors adopt a more active lifestyle, but the efficacy of these interventions must be rigorously evaluated in randomized controlled intervention trials. A major barrier to such trials involves the difficulty in obtaining unbiased estimates of physical activity in free-living conditions.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a 3-month intervention designed to increase physical activity vs. usual care in breast cancer survivors (n = 316). The primary outcome was change in physical activity as estimated by hip-worn accelerometer (MTI/Actigraph, models GT1M and GT3X). The trial included a sub-study (n = 106) wherein unbiased measures of total energy expenditure (doubly labeled water), and resting energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry) were collected. A linear mixed measurement error model characterized the structure of measurement error in accelerometry-estimated physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE), and corrected for bias in the estimated intervention effect due to measurement error.

Results

Bias in the accelerometer estimates was related to true PAEE ( p < 0.001) and baseline body mass index ( p < 0.001) but was not related to age ( p = 0.13). After correcting for measurement error, the estimated intervention effect at 3 months (change from baseline in PAEE in the intervention arm minus change in the control arm) was 77 kcal/day (95% confidence interval (CI) = 31–125), compared to 48 kcal/day (95% CI = 22–75) when measurement error was ignored. These results indicate a 20% (21%) increase in PAEE kcal x d ⁻¹ (kcal x kg ⁻¹ × d ⁻¹) at month 3 relative to baseline for the corrected model vs. 14% (15%) for the uncorrected model. There was no evidence that measurement error in accelerometry-estimated PAEE was differential (differed by treatment arm) in the trial (p = 0.86).

Conclusions

Measurement error in accelerometer-estimated PAEE can attenuate the effect size related to intervention effects in randomized controlled trials of physical activity interventions. Sub-studies that collect unbiased measures of PAEE can be used to correct for this short-coming.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT00929617; registered 06/26/2009; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00929617

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-025-01760-5.