Abstract
The method of using leg propulsion for a wheelchair was adopted in order to study whether a pedometer can accurately measure exercise levels when attached to various parts of the leg. The subjects of this study were five healthy males (mean age: 29.4 years). A pedometer was attached to the top of the malleolus lateralis, the max crus circumference and the top of the caput fibula (on the right side in all cases). Then each subject performed the task of moving in a wheelchair with their legs at a rate of 120 steps / min for fifteen minutes. Measurements were repeated eight times at an interval of one week between each measurement. From the data obtained, the 95% confidence interval of each attachment was calculated. The analysis of variance and post-hoc test were also carried out using each part as a factor (p<0.05). The values measured with a pedometer attached to the max crus circumference were the nearest to the target steps (1,800 steps), while the values measured at the top of malleolus lateralis were significantly higher than those at the other two attached parts. These results assumed that a relatively accurate measurement could be achieved by attaching a pedometer to the max crus circumference or the top of the caput fibula and that the pedometer was an effective method for estimating exercise levels when both legs were used for wheelchair propulsion.
