A new tool for evaluating energy expenditure: the "QAPSE" development and validation

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Accurate assessment of daily energy expenditure (DEE) is crucial for understanding energy balance and health.
• Existing methods for measuring physical activity (PA) and DEE can be invasive, costly, or lack comprehensive scope.
• A simple, noninvasive tool is needed to evaluate habitual PA and DEE across diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate the Saint-Etienne Physical Activity Questionnaire (QAPSE) as a tool for objective DEE evaluation.
• To assess the reproducibility and validity of the QAPSE in measuring habitual PA.
• To provide a comprehensive assessment of PA across work, leisure, housework, and daily activities.

Main Methods:

• Development of the QAPSE, an eight-page questionnaire covering PA over 7 days (168 hours).
• Administration of the QAPSE to 115 healthy volunteers (aged 20-88 years, both sexes).
• Evaluation of reproducibility (N=20) and validity through comparison with caloric intake (N=20).

Main Results:

• The QAPSE demonstrated high reproducibility (r = 0.997, P < 0.0001).
• Mean habitual daily energy expenditure (MHDEE) values ranged from 6,510 to 24,331 kJ/day, aligning with literature.
• QAPSE validity was supported by a significant correlation between MHDEE and caloric intake (r = 0.576, P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• The QAPSE is a reproducible and valid tool for the objective evaluation of DEE.
• This questionnaire provides a comprehensive assessment of habitual PA across multiple life domains.
• The QAPSE offers a practical, noninvasive method for researchers and clinicians to assess energy expenditure.