Accelerometer based assessment of daily physical activity and sedentary time in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis

Background: Studies have shown a positive correlation between higher physical activity (PA) and health benefits. However, device-based assessment of PA and sedentary time (ST) in people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has not been deeply investigated. Objective: Analysis and comparison of weekend and weekdays PA and ST using multiple accelerometers in people with AIS with different curvature severity compared to healthy controls. Methods: 24 participants with AIS divided into 2 groups of 12 with Cobb angles 40°, along with 12 age and BMI matched healthy controls. Daily PA and ST during four consecutive days were measured using four tri-axial accelerometers. Clinical functional assessment was performed using the scoliosis research society (SRS-22) questionnaire. Results: The combined weekend and weekdays average daily step count was found to be 22% and 29% lower in the AIS groups with Cobb angle 40°, respectively, compared to the controls. The average ST was also reported to be 5% and 7% higher in the AIS groups with Cobb angle 40°, respectively, compared to the controls. The reported differences were significant in the AIS group with higher Cobb angle (p≤0.05). No significant differences in PA or ST were reported between the AIS groups based on curvature severity. Conclusions: Decreased PA and increased ST observed in patients with AIS may have long term health implications and may play a role in the disease process. The device-based assessment of PA to understand potential benefits in clinical practice is recommended.