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WHeelchair Activity Monitoring project (WHAM)

Project description

Monitoring physical activity in people with walking difficulties

Wheelchair users face an elevated risk of developing preventable health conditions due to their lack of physical activity. While guidelines exist for physical activity, there is a lack of dependable sensor-based monitoring solutions. The MSCA-funded WHAM project has the goal of developing digital markers for monitoring and providing feedback on physical activity in wheelchair users. This initiative seeks to advance both research and practical applications, laying the groundwork for implementation and intervention. The project will combine two research domains: behavioural intervention studies focused on increasing physical activity in wheelchair users and sensor-based physical activity monitoring. WHAM aims to enhance physical activity levels and cardio-respiratory fitness through exercise programmes, while also establishing reliable algorithms for monitoring physical activity in individuals with mobility and cognitive challenges.

Objective

Wheelchair users (WCU) are three to five times more inactive than the general population, leading to a high risk of developing preventable secondary conditions. Although physical activity (PA) guidelines have been specifically developed for WCU, we lack systematic approaches to implement them in practice, as well as valid algorithms to monitor PA change in WCU through sensor-based solutions. Accordingly, the overall scientific aim of the WHeelchair Activity Monitoring project (WHAM) is to advance PA research and practice in WCU by developing valid digital markers for monitoring of and providing feedback on PA, paving the way for implementation and intervention. I will accomplish this through combining the complementary research fields of 1) behavioural intervention studies focusing on increasing PA in WCU (core competence University of British Columbia, UBC; outgoing phase) and 2) sensor-based PA monitoring (core competence Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU; returning phase – consolidated by non-academic placement at Maastricht Instruments, which develop research prototypes including PA monitors). WHAM’s scientific aim is achieved through three objectives: 1) Measure the effect of a pragmatic exercise intervention trial on self-reported physical activity levels and cardio-respiratory fitness, 2) Develop valid algorithms for tracking PA markers in WCU, and 3) Co-create a framework that outlines how PA can be conjointly monitored and provided feedback on in WCU. This fellowship will enable me to become established as an internationally recognized researcher in the field of “physical activity and disability”, while bringing together ongoing national disjointed research activities in this field. Altogether, my overall ambition is to contribute to reducing inequalities in daily-life participation among WCU compared to the rest of the population.

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Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01

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Coordinator

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
Net EU contribution
€ 403 471,12
Address
HOGSKOLERINGEN 1
7491 Trondheim
Norway
Region
Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Partners (2)