Wearable step-count processing pipeline tested in older STRRIDE-PD Reunion participants
A described, reproducible procedure turned Garmin step-count data from 67 older adults into daily summaries; wearable steps were linked to 9 of 16 cardiometabolic and fitness outcomes, while self-reported exercise was linked to none. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The described procedure converts epoch-level Garmin step counts into participant-level variables using a prespecified valid-day threshold of at least 10 hours of inferred wear time. [1]
Among 67 participants, median valid days were 10 and median average daily steps were 5794. [1]
Wearable step counts were significantly associated with 9 of 16 outcomes, while self-reported exercise was not significantly associated with any. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Methods description with application in a long-term follow-up cohort study (abstract).
- Population / context
- 67 older adults (mean age 71.4 years, 65.7% women) in the STRRIDE-PD Reunion follow-up.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- September 24, 2026
Pipeline for Garmin steps in 67 older adults
The authors describe a transparent, reproducible standard operating procedure for turning epoch-level step counts from commercial Garmin devices into participant-level variables. It standardizes timestamps, rebuilds daily epoch grids, infers wear time from observed step patterns and applies a prespecified valid-day threshold of at least 10 hours of inferred wear time. They applied it in the STRRIDE-PD Reunion study, a long-term follow-up of older adults originally enrolled in a supervised exercise intervention trial.
Supporting source [1]
Median 10 valid days and 5794 daily steps
Among 67 participants (mean age 71.4 years, 65.7% women), the median number of valid days was 10 and median average daily steps were 5794. Participant-level estimates were identical whether the valid-day threshold was at least 10 hours or at least 6 hours.
Supporting source [1]
Wearable steps linked to 9 of 16 outcomes
Wearable-derived step counts were significantly associated with 9 of 16 cardiometabolic and fitness outcomes, including cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and lipid profiles. Self-reported exercise, a frequency-by-duration composite ranked into deciles, was not significantly associated with any outcome. Regression calibration suggested measurement limitations in self-reported exercise may have contributed to weaker associations than with Garmin-derived and calibration-corrected estimates. These are associations, not evidence of cause.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The authors note a modest analytic sample size, possible violations of measurement error assumptions, relatively brief monitoring and indirect wear-time inference. Associations do not show causation.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Bo N, Sudnick AM, Counts JD, Kennedy KG, Saldana AA, Collins-Bennett KA, Bennett WC, Johnson JL, Huffman KM, Paluch AE, Ashner MC, Kraus WE, Peskoe SB, Ross LM. · europepmc.org · September 24, 2026