CITIZEN SCIENTISTS
University of Regina using app to gather data on living patterns for new study
Dr. Tarun Katapally, a population health researcher at the University of Regina, is on the lookout for 900 volunteers who are willing to let their smartphones track their physical activity for three years as a means of collecting data.
The University of Regina is looking to recruit some citizen scientists.
Dr. Tarun Katapally, a population health researcher and assistant professor at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, along with other researchers from across the country are launching a new SMART study to explore active living patterns of residents of Regina, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon. During the threeyear study, citizen scientists will use their smartphones to collect their own data on physical activity and movement patterns during all four seasons.
“I am looking at a way to use screen time to reduce screen time,” he said. “I think we sit more than ever in our history as human beings. If I look at the screens I look at every day, there are multiple screens. There is no escaping smartphones.”
So rather than trying to get people to put down their phones and becoming more active, he is hoping to use smartphones to get people more active by making them citizen scientists and giving them a voice.
“For example, a big part of the study is citizen scientists taking pictures of barriers and facilitators to their activity in their daily lives,” said Katapally. “For me, if I had to take a picture right now, I would take a picture of my desk and I would say, ‘This is a barrier to my activity.’ But the whole study is about engaging different cities in Saskatchewan.”
Prior to launching the study, Katapally’s team developed a smartphone app that uses built-in features like GPS, accelerometer, camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and gyroscope to collect the context-rich data.
“Citizen scientists participate in every season and they use this custom-made app in every season for about eight days and they do a couple of simple surveys,” he said. “But also this app itself is custombuilt and it records a bunch of activity in the background, whether it’s GPS, whether it’s physical activity, so it does a lot of objective data recording as well.”
Katapally said it took about six months to develop the app, but believes it was worth it because of its potential to not only collect data but its ability to reach people, because most people have smartphones.
“We are hoping that by the end of the first or second year we will have enough information to do actual intervention,” he said. “For example, I would put everyone at the Leader-Post in this group and I would say, ‘Stand up for five minutes every half-hour and everyone in that group would get the push (notification).’ ”
Katapally hopes to get at least 300 participants from the three cities. Those interested have until May 31 to sign up at www.smartstudysask.com. kbenjoe@postmedia.com
I am looking at a way to use screen time to reduce screen time. I think we sit more than ever in our history.