Short Communication

International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1031–1033; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.42; published online 8 April 2008

Assessment of the physical activity level with two questions: validation with doubly labeled water

G Johansson1,2 and K R Westerterp3

  1. 1Department of Health Behaviours, The Swedish National Institute of Public Health, Östersund, Sweden
  2. 2Department of Food and Nutrition, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
  3. 3Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Professor G Johansson, The Swedish National Institute of Public Health, Östersund SE-831 40, Sweden. E-mail: gunnar.johansson@fhi.se

Received 30 November 2007; Revised 13 February 2008; Accepted 15 February 2008; Published online 8 April 2008.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

To validate a two-question questionnaire on physical activity with the doubly labeled water (DLW) method.

Design:

 

Cross-sectional study.

Subjects:

 

Nine volunteers, age 33–75 years, with a mean body mass index (BMI) (kg m- 2) of 27.4.

Measurements:

 

A questionnaire with one question on physical activity at work and one question on physical activity during leisure time. The answers were converted into a PAL (physical activity level=energy expenditure/basal metabolic rate) value, which was validated with the DLW method.

Results:

 

The mean values (s.d.) of PAL for the questionnaire and DLW measurements were 1.7 (0.1) and 1.7 (0.1), respectively, with a mean difference of 0.004 (0.172).

Conclusions:

 

The results were promising to the extent that they could be used in large-scale epidemiological studies.

Keywords:

energy expenditure, doubly labeled water method, physical activity questionnaire, validation

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