Abstract
This study assessed the applicability of a four-level physical activity index, developed from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, to rank Hong Kong Chinese according to their physical activity 197 healthy participants were interviewed with the EPIC physical activity questionnaire (EPIC-PAQ) and the Hong Kong Physical Activity Questionnaire (HKPAQ). Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) was estimated using the HKPAQ. Physical activity ratio was calculated as a ratio of estimated TEE to measured BMR. The four-level physical activity index, namely inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, and active, derived using the EPIC-PAQ was compared with the corresponding physical activity ratio. Reproducibility of the EPIC-PAQ was assessed with participants completed the EPIC-PAQ twice with at least 14-day interval. There was significant trend across the physical activity index with the calculated physical activity ratio. Participants with higher physical activity ratio were categorized with physical activity index (r s =0.205, p=0.004). The reproducibility of the EPIC-PAQ was high (weighted kappa = 0.7, p<0.0001). The physical activity index derived by the EPIC-PAQ may be a reasonable measure to rank the physical activity level of Hong Kong Chinese.
Highlights
During the past few decades a growing interest in the relationship between physical activity and the occurrence of chronic diseases has developed
The weighted kappa statistic for the comparison of the Physical Activity Index (PAI) at baseline with that for the repeat survey was 0.7 (p
The PAI derived by the EPIC-PAQ was compared with the physical activity ratio (PAR) calculated as a ratio of total energy expenditure derived by the Hong Kong Physical Activity Questionnaire (HKPAQ) to the measured Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Summary
During the past few decades a growing interest in the relationship between physical activity and the occurrence of chronic diseases has developed. The methods commonly used to assess physical activity or energy expenditure, especially in clinical research, are not always appropriate for large epidemiological studies. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was one of the most widely used questionnaires in these two decades and it was a long questionnaire with 27 items Another Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was developed under the auspices of the World Health Organization using the experiences of the IPAQ instrument and research [5] but it still comprises 19 questions which was time-consuming to complete. This problem of feasibility led to the development of shorter PAQ. A short IPAQ was developed, this version had a 50% over-estimation of physical inactivity relative to the long version because less activities were being reported and it lacks specific domain estimates as in the long version [6]
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