Reliability and minimal detectable change of smartphone accelerometry for single-leg stability assessment in young adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v78.118215Keywords:
Smartphone-based, Accelerometry, Postural stability, Balance, Reliability, Minimal detectable changeAbstract
Introduction: Limited research exists on smartphone accelerometry for assessing single-leg standing balance during dual-task activities. This gap necessitates establishing reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) benchmarks.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the test–retest reliability and MDC of smartphone-based accelerometry during single-leg standing under various neck postures and surface conditions.
Methodology: Thirty healthy young adults (18–25 years) performed single-leg standing tests while texting. Center of Mass (CoM) acceleration was recorded using an iPhone 11 at the sacral level (S2) across four conditions. Measurements were repeated after a 7-day interval to calculate Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC3,1) and MDC at 95% confidence (MDC95).
Results: The device demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability across all conditions. The highest reliability was observed in the neutral neck/hard surface condition (ICC3,1 = 0.91–0.94), with low measurement error (MDC95 = 1.23–2.70 cm/s²). Conversely, the flexed neck/soft surface condition showed slightly lower reliability (ICC3,1 = 0.87–0.90) and higher variability, requiring larger changes for significance (MDC95 = 2.94–9.58 cm/s²). Specifically, MDC95 for Total Acceleration increased from 2.71 cm/s² in stable conditions to 9.90 cm/s² in unstable conditions.
Conclusion: Smartphone accelerometry is a reliable tool for evaluating postural stability in young adults. The established MDC values provide critical references, highlighting that challenging tasks (e.g., soft surfaces) require larger threshold values to detect real clinical changes in balance performance.
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