Test-retest reliability of a modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to capture neighbourhood physical activity

Abstract

Introduction: Few self-report tools capture neighbourhood physical activity. The aim of our study was to modify a widely-used self-report tool (International Physical Activity Questionnaire -IPAQ) to capture neighbourhood physical activity and estimate the test-retest reliability of these modifications. Material and Methods: Seventy-five adults completed the modified IPAQ twice, 7-days apart, capturing neighbourhood days·week -1 and usual minutes·day -1 of bicycling and walking for transport and leisure, moderate physical activity, and vigorous physical activity. Test-retest reliability was assessed with Intraclass Correlations (ICC), percent of overall agreement and Kappa statistics (κ). Results: Consistency in participation in neighbourhood PA ranged from k = 0.21 for moderate physical activity to k = 0.55 for vigorous physical activity, while proportion of overall agreement ranged from 64.0% for moderate physical activity to 81.3% for bicycling for transportation. ICC for reported neighbourhood PA between the two occasions ranged from ICC = 0.33 for moderate physical activity to ICC = 0.69 for bicycling for transportation for days·week -1 , ICC = 0.17 for bicycling for transportation to ICC = 0.48 for walking for leisure for minutes·day -1 , and ICC = 0.31 for vigorous physical activity to ICC = 0.52 for walking for leisure for minutes·week -1 . Conclusions: With the exception of minutes spent bicycling for transportation, our findings suggest that IPAQ items can be modified to provide

Using Accelerometer/GPS Data to Validate a Neighborhood-Adapted Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)

“…We have previously demonstrated that the N-IPAQ has acceptable test-retest reliability and convergent validity (i.e., significant associations with neighborhood walkability) (Frehlich et al, 2018). Contributing to this previous evidence, the present analysis demonstrates that for the most part, the N-IPAQ has concurrent validity when compared with accelerometer/GPS measured physical activity.…”

“…However, the N-IPAQ would provide more relevant data where there is interest in specific context or location (as perceived by the participant), such as the "neighborhood", and/or there is interest in specific types or purpose of physical activity (e.g., walking for transportation vs. recreation, cycling for transportation vs. recreation, running/jogging, etc.). Preliminary evidence presented here and elsewhere (Frehlich et al, 2018), suggest that the N-IPAQ is a reliable and valid tool for estimating neighborhood-based physical activity in adults; however, further evaluation of the questionnaire's measurement properties is needed. The N-IPAQ is an adaptation of the IPAQ, designed specifically to measure neighborhood-based physical activity only.…”

“…During the second visit, the N-IPAQ was completed again and the GPS and accelerometer monitors were collected. The N-IPAQ was administered twice to assess test-retest reliability; these results have been reported previously (Frehlich et al, 2018). Validity assessment used results from the second administration.…”

“…Nevertheless, measures of usual physical activity may be less sensitive to the immediate effects of neighborhood interventions-at least in the short-term, because respondents may report their average or usual behavior for many weeks or even months, rather than reporting the physical activity they undertook in the weeks immediately before and after an intervention (Doma, Speyer, Leicht, & Cordier, 2017). Recently, we adapted and tested the measurement properties of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to capture neighborhoodbased physical activity undertaken in the last week, finding that the self-administered tool had moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (Frehlich, Friedenreich, Nettel-Aguirre, & McCormack, 2018). The IPAQ is a non-location specific physical activity tool that has acceptable reliability and moderate concurrent validity when compared with accelerometers (Cerin et al, 2016;Craig et al, 2003).…”

“…The purpose of our study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of a modified self-report neighborhood-based physical activity questionnaire (i.e., the neighborhood-adapted version of the IPAQ [N-IPAQ]) (Frehlich et al, 2018). Specifically, we estimated the correspondence between accelerometer/GPS captured neighborhood-based physical activity and self-reported neighborhoodbased physical activity from the N-IPAQ.…”