Validity of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in assessing levels and change in moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour

BackgroundFeasible, cost-effective instruments are required for the surveillance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) and to assess the effects of interventions. However, the evidence base for the validity and reliability of the World Health Organisation-endorsed Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) is limited. We aimed to assess the validity of the GPAQ, compared to accelerometer data in measuring and assessing change in MVPA and SB.MethodsParticipants (n = 101) were selected randomly from an on-going research study, stratified by level of physical activity (low, moderate or highly active, based on the GPAQ) and sex. Participants wore an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X) for seven days and completed a GPAQ on Day 7. This protocol was repeated for a random sub-sample at a second time point, 3–6 months later. Analysis involved Wilcoxon-signed rank tests for differences in measures, Bland-Altman analysis for the agreement between measures for median MVPA and SB mins/day, and Spearman’s rho coefficient for criterion validity and extent of change.Results95 participants completed baseline measurements (44 females, 51 males; mean age 44 years, (SD 14); measurements of change were calculated for 41 (21 females, 20 males; mean age 46 years, (SD 14). There was moderate agreement between GPAQ and accelerometer for MVPA mins/day (r = 0.48) and poor agreement for SB (r = 0.19). The absolute mean difference (self-report minus accelerometer) for MVPA was −0.8 mins/day and 348.7 mins/day for SB; and negative bias was found to exist, with those people who were more physically active over-reporting their level of MVPA: those who were more sedentary were less likely to under-report their level of SB. Results for agreement in change over time showed moderate correlation (r = 0.52, p = 0.12) for MVPA and poor correlation for SB (r = −0.024, p = 0.916).ConclusionsLevels of agreement with objective measurements indicate the GPAQ is a valid measure of MVPA and change in MVPA but is a less valid measure of current levels and change in SB. Thus, GPAQ appears to be an appropriate measure for assessing the effectiveness of interventions to promote MVPA.

[1]  D. Altman,et al.  STATISTICAL METHODS FOR ASSESSING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO METHODS OF CLINICAL MEASUREMENT , 1986, The Lancet.

[2]  A. Beckett,et al.  AKUFO AND IBARAPA. , 1965, Lancet.

[3]  J. R. Landis,et al.  The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. , 1977, Biometrics.

[4]  Alan S. Morris,et al.  Introduction to Measurement , 2001 .

[5]  Carl J Caspersen,et al.  Sedentary behaviour and cardiovascular disease: a review of prospective studies. , 2012, International journal of epidemiology.

[6]  A. Bauman,et al.  Physical activity measurement- a primer for health promotion , 2006, Promotion & education.

[7]  Frank Kee,et al.  The effectiveness of physical activity interventions in socio-economically disadvantaged communities: a systematic review. , 2012, Preventive medicine.

[8]  Gregory W. Heath,et al.  Promoting physical activity : a guide for community action , 2010 .

[9]  McGinnis Jm,et al.  Actual causes of death in the United States. , 1993 .

[10]  Melanie J. Cowan,et al.  Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2011. , 2011 .

[11]  D. Altman,et al.  Measuring agreement in method comparison studies , 1999, Statistical methods in medical research.

[12]  W. Wan Abdul Manan,et al.  The Bahasa Melayu Version of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire , 2015, Asia-Pacific journal of public health.

[13]  L. Ransdell,et al.  International perspectives: the influence of gender on lifetime physical activity participation , 2004, The journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health.

[14]  T. Dwyer,et al.  Reliability and validity of the global physical activity questionnaire in Vietnam. , 2010, Journal of physical activity & health.

[15]  M. J. Safrit,et al.  Introduction to measurement in physical education and exercise science , 1986 .

[16]  W. Haskell Physical activity by self-report: a brief history and future issues. , 2012, Journal of physical activity & health.

[17]  Geraint Ellis,et al.  Physical activity and the rejuvenation of Connswater (PARC study): protocol for a natural experiment investigating the impact of urban regeneration on public health , 2013, BMC Public Health.

[18]  J. Gerberding,et al.  Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. , 2004, JAMA.

[19]  U. Ekelund,et al.  Criterion-related validity of the last 7-day, short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in Swedish adults , 2006, Public Health Nutrition.

[20]  U. Ekelund,et al.  The criterion validity of a last 7-day physical activity questionnaire (SAPAQ) for use in adolescents with a wide variation in body fat: the Stockholm Weight Development Study , 2006, International Journal of Obesity.

[21]  A. Bauman,et al.  Assessment of sedentary behavior with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. , 2008, Journal of physical activity & health.

[22]  M. Tremblay,et al.  A comparison of direct versus self-report measures for assessing physical activity in adults: a systematic review , 2008, The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity.

[23]  F. Gottrand,et al.  Reliability of the RT3 accelerometer for measurement of physical activity in adolescents , 2010, Journal of sports sciences.

[24]  A. Lucia,et al.  Intermonitor Variability of GT3X Accelerometer , 2012, International Journal of Sports Medicine.

[25]  N. Owen,et al.  Physiological and health implications of a sedentary lifestyle. , 2010, Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme.

[26]  K. Westerterp,et al.  Physical Activity Assessment With Accelerometers: An Evaluation Against Doubly Labeled Water , 2007, Obesity.

[27]  Abhinav Singh,et al.  Evaluation of Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) among Healthy and Obese Health Professionals in Central India , 2011 .

[28]  Takemi Sugiyama,et al.  Validity and reliability of measures of television viewing time and other non‐occupational sedentary behaviour of adults: a review , 2009, Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

[29]  Laura J. Gray,et al.  Association of Sedentary Behaviour with Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis , 2012, PloS one.

[30]  E. Arredondo,et al.  Validity of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in adult Latinas. , 2012, Journal of physical activity & health.

[31]  Gösta Samuelson,et al.  Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health , 2004 .

[32]  B. Ainsworth,et al.  International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. , 2003, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[33]  S. Anderssen,et al.  Validity of the ActiGraph GT1M during walking and cycling , 2014, Journal of sports sciences.

[34]  E. Paulik,et al.  Determinants of health-promoting lifestyle behaviour in the rural areas of Hungary. , 2010, Health promotion international.

[35]  Barbara E Ainsworth,et al.  Objective and subjective measures of sedentary behavior and physical activity. , 2010, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[36]  F. Bull,et al.  Development of the World Health Organization Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) , 2006, Journal of Public Health.

[37]  C. Caspersen,et al.  Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. , 1985, Public health reports.

[38]  P S Freedson,et al.  Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. , 1998, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[39]  Kristin J. Heumann,et al.  Validity and Reliability of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) , 2013 .

[40]  A. Timperio,et al.  A hitchhiker's guide to assessing sedentary behaviour among young people: deciding what method to use. , 2012, Journal of science and medicine in sport.

[41]  S. Marshall,et al.  Methods of Measurement in epidemiology: sedentary Behaviour. , 2012, International journal of epidemiology.

[42]  Lucas J Carr,et al.  Letter to the editor: standardized use of the terms "sedentary" and "sedentary behaviours". , 2012, Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme.

[43]  P. Blackman Actual causes of death in the United States. , 1994, JAMA.

[44]  W. Brown,et al.  Validity of two self-report measures of sitting time. , 2012, Journal of physical activity & health.

[45]  M. Hamlin,et al.  Validation of the New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ-LF) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-LF) with accelerometry , 2008, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[46]  F. Bull,et al.  Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ): nine country reliability and validity study. , 2009, Journal of physical activity & health.

[47]  S. Blair,et al.  Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy , 2012, BDJ.

[48]  Russell R. Pate,et al.  The Evolving Definition of "Sedentary" , 2008, Exercise and sport sciences reviews.

[49]  R. Thompson,et al.  Measuring physical activity during pregnancy , 2011, The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity.