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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Discordance Between Self-Reported Physical Activity and Field-Assessed Functional Capacity Among University Students:
1Department of Public Health Practice, College of Public Health, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Physical activity questionnaires show poor agreement with functional capacity tests in Kuwaiti students. Self-reported data and fitness assessments should be used complementarily, not interchangeably, for non-communicable disease surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiorespiratory fitness assessment
- Non-communicable disease surveillance
Background:
- Self-reported physical activity is a common tool for NCD surveillance.
- Its agreement with objective fitness markers is understudied in GCC populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association and agreement between self-reported physical activity (IPAQ-SF) and functional capacity (ISWT) in Kuwaiti university students.
- To identify discordance between these measures.
Main Methods:
- 389 Kuwaiti university students completed the IPAQ-SF and ISWT.
- Activity levels were categorized (low, moderate, high); ISWT distance was tertiled.
- Statistical analyses included Spearman correlations, Kruskal-Wallis, and Cohen's kappa.
Main Results:
- Weak correlation found between IPAQ-SF and ISWT distance (ρ = 0.209).
- Slight agreement was observed (kappa values < 0.20), with only 38.8% matching categories.
- Significant directional discordance was noted, varying by sex.
Conclusions:
- IPAQ-SF categories demonstrate poor individual-level agreement with ISWT functional capacity in this population.
- Self-reported physical activity and field-based functional capacity are complementary, not interchangeable.
- Further multi-university studies in the GCC are recommended.
