BACKGROUND: Validation of instruments used to measure physical activity patterns is essential when attempting to assess the effectiveness of physical activity interventions. OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity of two self-report physical activity questionnaires on a representative sample of New Zealand adults. METHODS: 70 adults aged 18-65 years from around Christchurch, New Zealand were required to wear an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer during all waking hours for 7 consecutive days. Immediately following the 7 day accelerometer period participants were required to complete the long forms of both the New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ-LF) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-LF). RESULTS: Both the NZPAQ-LF and the IPAQ-LF questionnaires showed small to moderate correlations with ActiGraph data for time spent in moderate-intensity physical activity (r=0.19-0.30) and total physical activity (sum of moderate and vigorous-intensity physical activity, r=0.30-0.32). In comparison with the ActiGraph data, both self-report questionnaires tended to overestimate activity levels by approximately 165%. Total physical activity levels gathered from both questionnaires were strongly correlated with each other (r=0.79) and showed good levels of agreement in the Bland-Altman plots. CONCLUSIONS: The long forms of the NZPAQ and IPAQ were found to have acceptable validity when detecting participants' ability to meet activity guidelines based on exercise duration, but a significant amount of overestimation was evident. This presents a need for both instruments to be further developed and tested in order to increase validity.
BACKGROUND: Validation of instruments used to measure physical activity patterns is essential when attempting to assess the effectiveness of physical activity interventions. OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity of two self-report physical activity questionnaires on a representative sample of New Zealand adults. METHODS: 70 adults aged 18-65 years from around Christchurch, New Zealand were required to wear an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer during all waking hours for 7 consecutive days. Immediately following the 7 day accelerometer period participants were required to complete the long forms of both the New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ-LF) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-LF). RESULTS: Both the NZPAQ-LF and the IPAQ-LF questionnaires showed small to moderate correlations with ActiGraph data for time spent in moderate-intensity physical activity (r=0.19-0.30) and total physical activity (sum of moderate and vigorous-intensity physical activity, r=0.30-0.32). In comparison with the ActiGraph data, both self-report questionnaires tended to overestimate activity levels by approximately 165%. Total physical activity levels gathered from both questionnaires were strongly correlated with each other (r=0.79) and showed good levels of agreement in the Bland-Altman plots. CONCLUSIONS: The long forms of the NZPAQ and IPAQ were found to have acceptable validity when detecting participants' ability to meet activity guidelines based on exercise duration, but a significant amount of overestimation was evident. This presents a need for both instruments to be further developed and tested in order to increase validity.
Authors: Peter James; Jennifer Weissman; Jean Wolf; Karen Mumford; Cheryl K Contant; Wei-Ting Hwang; Lynne Taylor; Karen Glanz Journal: Am J Health Behav Date: 2016-01
Authors: Paul H Lee; Y Y Yu; Ian McDowell; Gabriel M Leung; T H Lam; Sunita M Stewart Journal: Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act Date: 2011-08-01 Impact factor: 6.457
Authors: Erica Rosenberger Hale; David C Goff; Scott Isom; Caroline Blackwell; Melicia C Whitt-Glover; Jeffery A Katula Journal: J Phys Act Health Date: 2012-10-04
Authors: José A Serrano-Sánchez; Safira Delgado-Guerra; Hugo Olmedillas; Amelia Guadalupe-Grau; Rafael Arteaga-Ortiz; Joaquín Sanchis-Moysi; Cecilia Dorado; José A L Calbet Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-10-18 Impact factor: 3.240