Validation of a physical activity questionnaire in the elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is crucial for healthy aging.
• Accurate assessment tools are needed for elderly populations.
• The Questionnaire d'Activité Physique Saint-Etienne (QAPSE) was developed for PA assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the QAPSE in healthy elderly individuals.
• To assess QAPSE's suitability for routine PA assessments in older adults.

Main Methods:

• A validation substudy involved 65 healthy community-dwelling older adults (65-84 years).
• Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and anthropometric data were compared with QAPSE scores.
• A reproducibility sub-study (n=44) assessed test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• VO2 max showed significant positive correlations with QAPSE-derived measures like mean habitual daily energy expenditure (MHDEE) and sports activity.
• MHDEE correlated positively with body mass and fat-free mass, and negatively with body fat percentage.
• QAPSE demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.648 to 0.967.

Conclusions:

• The QAPSE is a valid instrument for assessing physical activity in healthy older adults.
• The questionnaire exhibits excellent repeatability and good validity concerning physical fitness and anthropometric measures.
• QAPSE is suitable for routine physical activity assessments in the elderly population.