A recent study published in Frontiers in Public Health compared the Oura smart ring against the ActiGraph accelerometer, widely regarded as the gold standard for activity measurement.
Here’s what they found:
Key Findings
- Step Count Discrepancies:
The Oura ring overestimated step counts when compared to the ActiGraph, with a mean difference of 1,416 steps (95% CI: 739-2,093 steps). This suggests that while the Oura ring is useful for tracking steps, it may not always provide perfectly accurate data compared to more established devices like the ActiGraph. - Sedentary Time Overestimation:
The Oura ring also overestimated daily sedentary time by an average of 17 minutes (95% CI: -2 to 37 minutes). This finding is important for healthcare applications where accurate sedentary behavior tracking is crucial for identifying health risks. - Implications for Healthcare Use:
While the Oura ring shows promise for tracking health data in everyday settings, its overestimation of activity and sedentary time should be considered when using it in nursing interventions or healthcare programs.
At Centralive, we help researchers and healthcare professionals integrate data from wearable devices like the Oura ring into predictive models, empowering more personalized and effective care.
Authors: Hannakaisa Niela-Vilen, Iman Azimi, Kristin Suorsa, Fatemeh Sarhaddi, Sari Stenholm, Pasi Liljeberg, Amir M Rahmani, Anna Axelin
