Evaluating physical activity: the AQAP questionnaire and its interpretation software

Updating Baecke physical activity questionnaire in French, validating this version named AQAP and developing software for a personalized interpretation of the results.

Validation conducted on 702 consultants in health prevention centers aged 18-79 years: reliability of the questionnaire when self-administered, validity according to the energy expenditure per interview and reproducibility after two weeks (n=31). After two months, assessment of the questionnaire's impact on knowledge and behaviors in 320 young adults aged 18-29 years.

The results from self- and interviewer-administered questionnaire were correlated (Kappa>0.60). Furthermore, the total physical activity index was correlated to the energy expenditure (rho=0.39, P<0.0001). The four physical activity indexes calculated from self-administrated questionnaires barely varied at the two-week interval (P ≥ 0.23, power ≥ 77%, accepted difference ± 10%). Two months later, 80% of the participants had read the interpretation software report, 55% became conscious of their physical activity level, 43% increased their physical activity level and 42% reported being aware of the relationship between physical activity and health.

AQAP characteristics are satisfactory and thus this questionnaire can be used on the general population in complement of an individual or collective action to promote physical activity and in epidemiological studies for analyzing the links between individual behaviors and health.