Validation of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Among Blacks

Abstract

Background:The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S) has been evaluated against accelerometer-determined physical activity measures in small homogenous samples of adults in the United States. There is limited information about the validity of the IPAQ-S in diverse US samples. Methods: 142 Blacks residing in low-income housing completed the IPAQ-S and wore an accelerometer for up to 6 days. Both 1-and 10-minute accelerometer bouts were used to define time spent in light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. Results: We found fair agreement between the IPAQ-S and accelerometerdetermined physical activity (r = .26 for 10-minute bout, r = .36 for 1-minute bout). Correlations were higher among men than women. When we classified participants as meeting physical activity recommendations, agreement was low (kappa = .04, 10-minute; kappa = .21, 1-minute); only 25% of individuals were classified the same by both instruments (10-minute bout). Conclusions: In one of the few studies to assess the validity of a self-reported physical activity measure among Blacks, we found moderate correlations with accelerometer data, though correlations were weaker for women. Correlations were smaller when IPAQ-S data were compared using a 10-versus a 1-minute bout definition. There was limited evidence for agreement between the instruments when classifying participants as meeting physical activity recommendations.

The StrongWomen–Healthy Hearts program in Pennsylvania: RE-AIM analysis

“…Trained program leaders measured participants' weight in triplicate to the nearest 0.5 kg using a digital floor scale (Seca 880, self-calibrating with a 200-kg capacity). Secondary measures were fruit and vegetable consumption, assessed using the validated 5 A Day for Better Health 7-item screener [14]; and physical activity, assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) [15][16][17]. The fruit and vegetable intake scores were compiled according to the NCI criteria [18].…”

Effects of Parenting Style and Parent-Related Weight and Diet on Adolescent Weight Status

“…Additionally, comparisons of the IPAQ to accelerometers demonstrated correlations comparable with other self-report validation studies (pooled ¼ 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.36), thus supporting criterion validity of the tool. In addition, the IPAQ has been used in low income minority populations (Lee, Mama, McAlexander, Adamus, & Medina, 2011;Wolin, Heil, Askew, Matthews, & Bennett, 2008).…”

Descriptive Study of Educated African American Women Successful at Weight-Loss Maintenance Through Lifestyle Changes

“…Recent research suggests it may not be the most ideal physical activity assessment tool for this population. 32 Lastly, the cross-sectional study design limits the conclusions that can be drawn about the causal effects of various historical and current behaviors reported by respondents and their weight maintenance or regain.…”