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Approved research

Big Data for Mobility Research

Principal Investigator: Dr Scott Delp
Approved Research ID: 27871
Approval date: March 27th 2018

Lay summary

We are interested in determining how intrinsic (age, gender, diseases) and extrinsic (e.g., public transit access) factors affect physical activity. For example, in a recent study based on step-count data from 2 million individuals, we found that unique measures of physical activity predict BMI and sleep quality. The UK Biobank accelerometry data would help us validate and extend these findings. After characterizing a baseline for activity in individuals without musculoskeletal limitations, we would like to understand how osteoarthritis (OA), one of most common disorders that limit mobility, and its treatment (joint replacement surgery), affect activity patterns. Our Mobilize Center is an NIH-funded Big Data to Knowledge Center of Excellence that is using advanced data science methods to improve the current understanding of conditions that limit mobility. The proposed research should meet the UK Biobank?s stated purpose by facilitating the development of new interventions aiming to restore mobility patterns that are beneficial to human health. Previous studies that have analyzed functional outcomes at different stages of osteoarthritis (OA) or after joint replacement surgery are limited to in-lab tests for small sample sizes. Using activity-monitoring data from the UK Biobank, we will study the debilitating effects of OA and the hypothesized improvement after joint replacement surgery at a large scale and in free-living settings. For comparison, we will also characterize activity patterns in individuals without musculoskeletal limitations. All the subjects who participated in the activity-monitoring segment of the study. (If possible, also all the subjects who have OA-related symptoms or have had joint replacement surgery.)