Development, Construct Validity, and Reliability Testing of a Revised Version of the Leisure Time Physical Activity...

To evaluate the content validity, construct validity, and test-retest reliability of a revised version of the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with Spinal Cord Injury [LTPAQ-SCI(R)] that measures all four components of the spinal cord injury (SCI) exercise guidelines (i.e., exercise frequency, intensity, duration, and type).

Ten adults with SCI (6M/4F) were interviewed to develop the LTPAQ-SCI(R) and assess its content validity. Twenty-three adults with SCI (50 ± 14 years; 18M/5F) completed the LTPAQ-SCI(R), other self-report measures of aerobic leisure time physical activity (LTPA), moderate-to-vigorous LTPA (MVPA), and strength-training activities as well as cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., peak oxygen consumption [V̇O_2peak]) and muscular strength tests.

User interviews provided information to refine the questionnaire and support content validity. LTPAQ-SCI(R) measures of minutes per week of aerobic and strength-training LTPA shared large correlations with other self-report measures of aerobic LTPA, aerobic MVPA, and strength-training LTPA (r = 0.542 to 0.687, Ps < .01). LTPAQ-SCI(R) measures of minutes per week of aerobic LTPA and all LTPA (i.e., combined aerobic and strength-training LTPA) shared significant medium-sized positive correlations with relative V̇O_2peak (r = 0.393 and 0.406, respectively, Ps < .05). All variables measured by the LTPAQ-SCI(R) demonstrated good-to-excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlations = 0.854 to 1.000, Ps < .001).

This study provides preliminary evidence of the validity and reliability of the LTPAQ-SCI(R) as a measure of minutes per week of aerobic and strength-training LTPA in individuals with SCI. The LTPAQ-SCI(R) is recommended for use in community- and rehabilitation-based settings to collect epidemiological data on LTPA participation among individuals living with SCI.