A Scoping Review of the Validity and Reliability of Smartphone Accelerometers When Collecting Kinematic Gait Data

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review is to evaluate and summarize the existing literature that considers the validity and/or reliability of smartphone accelerometer applications when compared to ‘gold standard’ kinematic data collection (for example, motion capture). An electronic keyword search was performed on three databases to identify appropriate research. This research was then examined for details of measures and methodology and general study characteristics to identify related themes. No restrictions were placed on the date of publication, type of smartphone, or participant demographics. In total, 21 papers were reviewed to synthesize themes and approaches used and to identify future research priorities. The validity and reliability of smartphone-based accelerometry data have been assessed against motion capture, pressure walkways, and IMUs as ‘gold standard’ technology and they have been found to be accurate and reliable. This suggests that smartphone accelerometers can provide a cheap and accurate alternative to gather kinematic data, which can be used in ecologically valid environments to potentially increase diversity in research participation. However, some studies suggest that body placement may affect the accuracy of the result, and that position data correlate better than actual acceleration values, which should be considered in any future implementation of smartphone technology. Future research comparing different capture frequencies and resulting noise, and different walking surfaces, would be useful.