Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 376–383. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602084 Published online 10 November 2004
Physical activity questionnaire for adolescents validated against doubly labelled water
Guarantor: L Hulthèn.
Contributors: All contributors were responsible for study design. FS was responsible for the RMR measurements and the distribution of DLW. DA was responsible for the collection of urine samples, performing the physical activity interviews and the analysis of the reported physical activity, the statistical analysis and wrote the paper. All contributors were involved in discussion and interpretation of results, drafting and revision of the paper.
D Arvidsson1, F Slinde1 and L Hulthèn1
1Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
Correspondence: L Hulthèn, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 459, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: lena.hulthen@medfak.gu.se
Received 12 December 2003; Revised 15 September 2004; Accepted 20 September 2004; Published online 10 November 2004.
Abstract
Objective:
To validate a physical activity questionnaire for adolescents (PAQA) adapted from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).
Design:
Energy expenditure was measured during a 14-day period with doubly labelled water (DLW). PAQA was administered as an interview at the end of the period, asking for physical activity in school, during transportation and leisure-time, during a habitual week. Energy expenditure (EEPAQA) was calculated as the product of total physical activity+sleep and predicted resting metabolic rate, and was compared to energy expenditure from DLW (EEDLW), thermic effect of feeding excluded.
Setting:
Participants were recruited from grade 9 in a compulsory school in Göteborg, Sweden. All data were collected at school, and distribution of DLW and measuring of resting metabolic rate were performed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
Subjects:
A total of 33 adolescents (16 girls, 17 boys) 15.7 (0.4) y performed all measurements.
Results:
For the whole group, PAQA underestimated energy expenditure by 3.8 (1.7) MJ (P<0.001). There was a strong correlation (r=0.62, P<0.001) between EEPAQA and EEDLW, but not for boys (r=0.42, P=0.090) and girls (r=0.33, P=0.22) separately.
Conclusions:
PAQA is not able to predict energy expenditure in Swedish adolescents, largely explained by the amount of unreported time. The ability to rank adolescents energy expenditure is questioned because of the gender effect, although we found a strong correlation for the whole group.
Sponsorship:
Ingabritt and Arne Lundberg Foundation.
Keywords:
physical activity questionnaire, energy expenditure, validation, adolescents
