Concurrent And Construct Validity Of The Omni-walk/run Rpe Scale In Older Brazilian Women

Abstract

Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) have been used effectively for prescribing and monitoring exercise in a wide range of populations. The OMNI RPE scales have been developed and validated for utilization by children and adults performing a range of different exercises modalities. However, the PMNI-Walk/Run RPE scale (OMNI-WR) has not been validated for use in older adults. PURPOSE: To examine concurrent and construct validity of the OMNI-WR in Brazilian elderly women. METHODS: Twenty-one women (69.19 ± 6.34 yrs) performed in a maximal graded treadmill exercise test (GXT) using the Bruce protocol. Physiological criterion variables (oxygen consumption and heart rate), RPE construct (Borg 6-20 RPE scale), and concurrent (OMNI-WR scale) variables were obtained at the same time-points during the GXT. RESULTS: Maximal oxygen consumption was 21.22 ± 3.56 ml·kg-1·min-1 and maximal heart rate was 149.90 ± 15.67 bpm-1. Pearson correlation analysis determined a strong association between the oxygen consumption (r = 0.75; p < 0.001) and heart rate (r = 0.62; p < 0.001) with the RPE (overall body) obtained from the OMNI-WR. Similarly, a strong association was found between RPE obtained from the Borg and the OMNI-WR scales (r = 0.90; p < 0.001). These results provided concurrent and construct validity evidence for use of the OMNI-WR RPE scale in older adult women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this investigation have a unique applicability in older women. Many elderly are under hypertensive treatment making it difficult to control exercise intensity based on heart rate. Alternatively, the OMNI-WR scale appears to be a valid metric for monitoring and prescribing exercise intensity in older adult Brazilian women.