Adolescents and Self-Reported Physical Activity: An Evaluation of the Modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise...

The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire assesses self-reported physical activity (PA) among adults, and was later modified for children. However, the modified version (Godin-Child Questionnaire) has not been validated among adolescents. This study evaluates the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Godin-Child Questionnaire among adolescents. The study participants, sixth graders (age M= 11.06 ± 0.436; 48% males, 48% Latino), were assessed at 2 time points (fall and spring: N= 139). First, the study determined whether adolescents accurately reported exercise intensity based on adolescents' ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during moderate- and hard-intensity exercise tasks. Second, objective assessments of PA obtained using the Actigraph® accelerometer were correlated with PA self-reported on the Godin-Child Questionnaire. Third, test-retest correlations evaluated the Godin-Child Questionnaire for its reliability. Finally, interviews explored participants' interpretations of the Godin-Child Questionnaire. RPEs suggested that adolescents generally perceived exercise intensity accurately, with no significant differences between genders. There was a weak correlation between the Godin-Child Questionnaire and the Actigraph® during fall (r=.22, P< .05) and spring (r=.24, P<.05), with a significant correlation for males (P<.05) at both time periods. Test-retest correlations were acceptable (fall-spring r=.68; P<.001) and were equally strong among females and males. Interviews revealed that some respondents overlooked written directions. The Godin-Child Questionnaire may be a useful evaluative measure of self-reported physical activity for comparing activity levels across groups of adolescents, but may be less accurate for assessing physical activity on an individual level.