Physical Activity Behaviour and Comparison of GPAQ and Travel Diary Transport-Related Physical Activity in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

There is a lack of data on physical activity (PA), active travel, and the comparison of measurement instruments in low-resource settings. The objective of this paper is to describe PA behaviour and the agreement of walking estimates from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and the travel diary in a low-resource setting. We used a cross-sectional survey design to capture data from the residents of Accra (Ghana) between May 2020 and March 2021. Of the 863 participants aged 15+ years, 65% were females, and 86% reported PA. The median weekly PA was 18 (interquartile range: 5–75) metabolic equivalent of task hours, with 50% of females and 37% of males achieving low PA levels. In the GPAQ, 80% of participants reported weekly walking; the mean number of days walked was 3.8 (standard deviation (SD): 2.5); hence, 54% of participants reported walking on any day, and the mean daily walking duration was 51 (SD: 82) minutes. In the diary, 56% of participants reported walking for over 24 h, with a mean walking duration of 31 (SD: 65) minutes. The correlation of walking duration between instruments was weak (rho: 0.31; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.25–0.37); the mean bias was 20 min, with GPAQ estimates being 0.1 to 9 times higher than diary estimates. We concluded that low PA is prevalent in Accra, and while the travel diary and GPAQ estimate similar walking prevalence, their walking duration agreement is poor. We recommend accompanying PA questionnaires with objective measures for calibration.

Physical Activity in Malaysia: Are We Doing Enough? Findings from the REDISCOVER Study

“…This is similar to a Malaysian study by Chu HY and Moy FM (2014), which demonstrates that the participants are most active in the domestic physical activity domain, followed by occupation, transportation and leisure [ 21 ]. This is in contrast with studies from Hungary and Ghana; whereby the highest PA is found in the working domain [ 42 , 43 ]. This similar pattern is also noted in lower income countries, with more activities undertaken at work and for transport [ 44 ].…”

The prevalence and determinants of non-communicable diseases among Ghanaian adults: A survey at a secondary healthcare level

“…The domains of the questionnaire were categorised into socio-demographic characteristics of participants, lifestyle factors, self-reported NCD status, and NCD risk factor assessment. The questionnaires have successfully been used in previous studies in Ghana with good internal and external validity [ 16 , 17 ].…”