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Physical activity level in healthy free-living Japanese estimated by doubly labelled water method and International Physical Activity Questionnaire

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 62, pages 885–891 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To measure total energy expenditure (TEE) for normal healthy Japanese by the doubly labelled water (DLW), and to compare the physical activity level (PAL) among categories classified by the categories used in daily reference intake (DRI), Japan and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

Subjects and methods:

A total of 150 healthy Japanese men and women aged 20- to 59-year-old living in four districts of Japan. TEE was measured by the DLW method, and the PAL was calculated from TEE divided by basal metabolic rate. Simultaneously with TEE measurement, the PAL was assessed employing the categories used in DRI, Japan and IPAQ.

Results:

The average TEE and PAL were 10.78±1.67 MJ/day and 1.72±0.22 for males and 8.37±1.30 MJ/day and 1.72±0.27 for females, respectively. The subjects in the highly active categories assessed by both DRI and IPAQ showed significantly higher PAL compared with less active categories. However, PALs among light and moderate categories by DRI, and insufficient and sufficiently active by IPAQ were not significantly different.

Conclusions:

In developed countries, highly active subjects could be assessed by a simple questionnaire. However, the questionnaire should be improved to clarify the sedentary to moderately active subjects by assessing carefully very light to moderate physical activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Promotion and Exercise Program, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan

    K Ishikawa-Takata, I Tabata, S Sasaki, H Okazaki & S Tanaka

  2. School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    S Sasaki

  3. Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Physical Education, Shanghai, PR, China

    H H Rafamantanantsoa

  4. Department of Nutrition Science, Kagawa Nutrition University, Saitama, Japan

    H Okubo

  5. International Nutrition, Ochanomizu University Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Tokyo, Japan

    S Yamamoto

  6. Faculty of Nutritional Science, Nakamura Gakuen University Junior College, Fukuoka, Japan

    T Shirota & K Uchida

  7. Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan

    M Murata

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  1. K Ishikawa-Takata
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  2. I Tabata
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  3. S Sasaki
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  4. H H Rafamantanantsoa
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  7. S Tanaka
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  8. S Yamamoto
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  9. T Shirota
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  10. K Uchida
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  11. M Murata
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Correspondence to K Ishikawa-Takata.

Additional information

Guarantor: K Ishikawa-Takata.

Contributors: KIT had the original idea, supervised IRMS analyses, analyzed the data, wrote the first draft and edited subsequent versions. IT supervised the study and edited the manuscript. SS supervised the field data collection and edited the manuscript. HHR and H Okazaki participated in the field data collection and IRMS analyses and edited the manuscript. H Okubo managed the field measurements and edited the manuscript. ST participated in the data analyses and edited the manuscript and SY, TS, KU and MM participated in field measurements and edited the manuscript.

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Ishikawa-Takata, K., Tabata, I., Sasaki, S. et al. Physical activity level in healthy free-living Japanese estimated by doubly labelled water method and International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 885–891 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602805

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