Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Validation of a computerized use of time recall for activity measurement in advanced-aged adults
Casey Jordan Mace1, Ralph Maddison, Timothy Olds
1Dept. of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Background:
The Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adults (MARCA) is a computerized recall instrument that records use of time during 24 hr the previous day and has been developed to address limitations of current self-report physical activity measures for those in advanced age.
Methods:
Test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the adult MARCA were assessed in a sample of 45 advanced-age adults (age 84.9 SD ± 1.62 yr) as a subsample of the Life and Living in Advanced-Age Cohort Study New Zealand (LiLACS NZ). Test-retest methods required participants to recall the previous day's activity using the MARCA twice within the same day. Convergent validity was assessed against accelerometry.
Results:
Test-retest reliability was high, with ICCs greater than .99 for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and physical activity level (PAL). Compared with accelerometry, the MARCA demonstrated validity comparable to other self-report instruments with Spearman's coefficients of .34 and .59 for time spent in nonsedentary physical activity and PAL.
Conclusion:
The MARCA is a valid and reliable self-report tool for physical activity behaviors in advanced-age adults.
