Validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) as a measure of physical activity (PA) in young people with cerebral palsy: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) as a measure of physical activity (PA) in young people with cerebral palsy (CP). Design Cross-sectional. Setting Participants were recruited through 8 National Health Service (NHS) trusts, one school, one university and through organisations that provide services for people with disabilities in England. Participants Sixty-four, ambulatory young people aged 10-19 years with CP [Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III] participated in this study. Main outcome measure The IPAQ-SF was administered to participants. Participants were then asked to wear a wGT3X-BT triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL) for 7 days to objectively assess PA. Time spent in sedentary behaviour, in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and in total PA (TPA) was compared between measures. Results Young people with CP self-reported less time in sedentary behaviour and underestimated the time spent in TPA, when compared to accelerometer measurements. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated poor agreement between the measures for MVPA, with upper and lower 95% limits of agreement of −147 to 148.9 minute. After adjusting for gender and GMFCS level, age was a predictor of the difference between measures for MVPA (P < 0.001) and TPA (P < 0.001). Conclusions These findings suggest that the IPAQ-SF is not a valid method of measuring TPA or sedentary behaviour in young people with CP and it is not appropriate for use when assessing an individual's time in MVPA. Therefore, where feasible, an objective measure of PA should be used. Clinical trial registration number ISRCTN90378161.

24‐hour activity for children with cerebral palsy: a clinical practice guide

“…Specifically, for children with CP, the feasibility of existing questionnaires is limited owing to their length and the time required for the parents to complete them, as well as for the clinician to evaluate them. 16 Moreover, existing instruments have not included sedentary behaviour (as part of physical activity) nor considered sleep to be part of the (24-hour) physical activity spectrum. Using questions from previously validated questionnaires developed for other paediatric populations, such as the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool, 17 and physical activity recommendations for children with CP, 1 we have applied a structured approach with interviews involving both health professionals and parents of children with CP to adapt items and construct the new checklist.…”

“…Unfortunately, the current physical activity measurement tools are not practical for implementation in routine care. Specifically, for children with CP, the feasibility of existing questionnaires is limited owing to their length and the time required for the parents to complete them, as well as for the clinician to evaluate them 16 . Moreover, existing instruments have not included sedentary behaviour (as part of physical activity) nor considered sleep to be part of the (24‐hour) physical activity spectrum.…”

The Effects of Teacher Candidates’ Physical Activity Levels on Health-Related Quality of Life

“…2.3.1 The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) There are various questionnaires to determine the physical activity levels (Lee et al, 2011). It was indicated that IPAQ-SF version is one of the most appropriate and widely used self-report form to assess physical activity levels (Tierney et al, 2015;Lavelle et al, 2019). IPAQ is designed to evaluate the young people/middle-aged adults and special groups' physical activity levels (Craig et al, 2003).…”

“…It consists of seven questions to measure average daily time spent walking, sitting and participating in activity of moderate and high intensity and produces a physical activity score based on last seven days (Tierney et al, 2015;Sanda et al, 2017;Lavelle et al, 2019).…”

Multidimensional Measures of Physical Activity and Their Association with Gross Motor Capacity in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

“…While there are several valid and reliable tests for motor capacity that are part of routine clinical assessments, measures of motor performance are mainly questionnaire-based [ 15 ], which makes them subject to biases [ 16 ]. However, in recent years, inertial measurement units (IMUs) have emerged to accurately measure walking performance and PA parameters in children with CP [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”