Validation of the Jackson Heart Study Physical Activity Survey in African Americans

Abstract

Background:Physical inactivity has been consistently linked to cardiovascular disease, yet few instruments have been validated for assessment of physical activity in African Americans, a group particularly vulnerable to heart disease. The current study aimed to establish the psychometric properties of the activity survey used in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) among African Americans, the JHS Physical Activity Cohort survey (JPAC).Methods:Test-retest reliability over 2 weeks was assessed using a convenience sample of 40 African Americans. Convergent validity with accelerometer and pedometer data were assessed in 2 samples from the JHS (N = 404 and 294, respectively).Results:Test-retest reliability was excellent, with intraclass correlations = .99 for the JPAC total and index scores. Higher JPAC total scores were significantly associated with higher raw accelerometer and pedometer counts. Spearman correlations between JPAC total scores and accelerometer (rho = .24) and pedometer counts (rho = .32) were consistent with these results. Most subscales were significantly correlated with the objective measures. The JPAC total score was most strongly associated with objectively-measured activity.Conclusion:This study provides support for the reliability and validity of the JPAC as a tool for assessing physical activity among African Americans across a variety of domains.

Evaluation of a Questionnaire to Assess Sedentary and Active Behaviors in the Southern Community Cohort Study

“…8,41,42 In addition, the results from other studies conducted among African Americans are not unlike studies conducted in whites. 43,44 Thus, the inclusion of both African American and white adults from a similar socioeconomic background is an important strength of this study. To our knowledge, limited number of studies has assessed the validity of an interviewer-administered PAQ in African American and white adults with low-income and relatively low-education level.…”

“…To our knowledge, limited number of studies has assessed the validity of an interviewer-administered PAQ in African American and white adults with low-income and relatively low-education level. 39,43,44 Recently, Meyer and colleagues 45 examined the test-retest reliability of a PA questionnaire used in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. The questionnaire demonstrated moderate to substantial test-retest reliability in a diverse sample of postmenopausal women measured using the intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient to estimate reliability in household and yard activities (ICC = 0.60 and 0.71, respectively).…”

Cardiovascular Health and Incident Hypertension in Blacks

“…Using a modified Baecke questionnaire that was validated in the JHS using pedometers and accelerometers, the weekly duration and annual frequency of participation in sports/exercises over the previous year were recorded and summed to calculate a total number of minutes per week spent in moderate or vigorous physical activity. 20, 21 Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, sodium and sugary beverages were assessed using a 158-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that was validated in a subset of the JHS participants using 24-hour dietary recall repeated over four consecutive months. 22 Cigarette smoking status was defined using the same questions as the ARIC study including “Have you smoked more than 400 cigarettes in your lifetime?” and “Do you now smoke cigarettes?”.…”

Prospective analysis of the association of ambulatory blood pressure characteristics with incident chronic kidney disease

“…Daily alcohol consumption was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity was assessed using the JHS Physical Activity Cohort survey [19]. BMI was calculated as the weight (in kilograms) divided by the height (in meters) squared.…”