Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have shown that passively monitoring people’s walking activity using smartphones can effectively predict the 5-year risk of death. The research was published in the journal PLOS Digital Health.
Researchers analyzed data from 100,000 people from UK Biobank. They carried their activity monitors in their pockets for a week. The sensor collectively gathered information about a person’s six-minute walk per day. Using this data, the researchers were able to calculate an approximate walking speed. With standard demographics, they were able to predict with about 70% accuracy the probability of a person dying within five years, regardless of age and gender.
Active measurements of walking speed are often used for accurate estimation, but they are of limited use as they require the involvement of a physician or researcher. Passive data collection will allow monitoring of mortality risks at the population level of the country.
Source: Gazeta
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