Reliability and validity of an internet-based questionnaire measuring lifetime physical activity

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Lifetime physical activity assessment is crucial for understanding chronic disease development.
• Long induction periods for many diseases necessitate evaluating cumulative physical activity.
• Existing tools may not fully capture the breadth of lifetime physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the measurement properties of the novel internet-based Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire (L-PAQ).
• To assess the reliability and validity of the L-PAQ in Canadian adults.
• To establish the L-PAQ as a reliable instrument for assessing lifetime physical activity.

Main Methods:

• Test-retest design to assess reliability of the L-PAQ.
• Validity assessment through comparison with established questionnaires (LT-PAQ, CT-PAQ).
• A priori hypothesis testing to confirm construct validity of L-PAQ measurements.

Main Results:

• The L-PAQ demonstrated good test-retest reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.67 to 0.89.
• Spearman correlations between L-PAQ and LT-PAQ ranged from 0.41 to 0.71.
• Correlations between L-PAQ and CT-PAQ ranged from 0.50 to 0.58, supporting validity.

Conclusions:

• The Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire (L-PAQ) is a reliable and valid instrument.
• The L-PAQ effectively measures multiple domains of lifetime physical activity.
• This internet-based questionnaire offers a practical tool for epidemiological research.