International Physical Activity Questionnaire for ITalian Elderly (IPAQ-EIT): reliability in an Italian sample

The aim of the paper was to perform an Italian version of the International Questionnaire of Physical Activity in the Elderly: IPAQ-EIT.

Adults with age over 64 years with normal neurological status and without difficulty in ambulation were enrolled in opportunistic way and on voluntary basis in different Italian regions. Two independent researchers have translated the English version independently. The final IPAQ-EIT version was submitted twice, with an interval of one day between each administration (T0 and T1). McNemar's Test was used to assess the agreement between qualitative variables; Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used for continuous data. Cronbach's alpha was used as a measure of the internal consistency.

Thirty-three questionnaires were collected at T0 and T1. 100% of response rate was obtained. The Cronbach's alpha at T0 was α= 0.79 and at T1 α= 0.84. The Spearman's coefficient reported significant associations (p<0.001) between the two administrations for all items. The test-retest analysis for two paired samples underlined for all items not significant differences.

The IPAQ-EIT short form shown an acceptable consistency, feasibility to administer and easy to combine with other questionnaires. It is an additional valid measuring tool for physical activity levels in the elderly.