Importance of questionnaire context for a physical activity question

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Accurate physical activity data is crucial for public health surveillance and interventions.
• Previous research indicates question order and wording affect survey responses, but this is unconfirmed for physical activity.
• Understanding these influences is vital for reliable physical activity assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different question formulations and order on self-reported physical activity.
• To assess how questionnaire context influences responses in a population-based health interview survey.

Main Methods:

• A population-based health interview survey was conducted with four random samples of 1000 adults each.
• Variations in question wording were introduced in samples 1-3.
• The physical activity question's placement (end of questionnaire) was manipulated in sample 4.

Main Results:

• Mean daily moderate physical activity varied significantly across samples (57–100 min/day).
• Question order affected reported minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and meeting recommendations.
• Differences in question formulation were linked to variations in reporting physical inactivity.

Conclusions:

• Questionnaire context, including wording and order, substantially influences self-reported physical activity.
• These findings highlight the need for systematic testing of question variations in physical activity questionnaire validation.
• Optimizing survey design is essential for accurate public health surveillance of physical activity.