Digital mobility assessment using wearable devices in people with Parkinson's disease: a feasibility and implementation study in Ghana (TraPCAf) compared with a UK cohort

Introduction

Life expectancy is rising in Africa, increasing Parkinson's disease (PD) prevalence. PD in Africa is often underdiagnosed/undertreated due to limited specialists, awareness and medication access. Gait impairments are among the earliest and most disabling PD symptoms, yet their presentation in African populations is poorly understood. This study aimed to (1) compare real-world mobility between PD and older controls in a population from Ghana (GHA-PD and GHA-CL), (2) examine associations between digital mobility outcomes (DMOs) and clinical/demographic factors between GHA-PD and a PD cohort from a high-income European country (UK-PD), and (3) assess the acceptability of the measurement method in GHA-PD and GHA-CL.