Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective To perform a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to investigate the reliability of The International Fitness Scale questionnaire for assessing overall physical fitness and related components.Methods PubMed®, BIREME, SciELO, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, LILACS and Cochrane databases were searched using the following search terms: “The International Fitness Scale”, “International Fitness Scale” and “IFIS”. Article selection and data extraction were performed according to the following eligibility criteria: reliability and/or validity study of the measure tools of The International Fitness Scale; adoption of the The International Fitness Scale as a reference criterion (gold standard) and being an original article. Quality of the study was considered based on Assessment of Reliability Studies. Data analysis used Kappa coefficient of agreement, Cochran and the Higgins I2 test. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the withdrawal model.Results A total of seven articles were included in the analysis. Test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.40 to 0.99, with most studies achieving values ≥0.60, indicative of moderate to substantial reliability.Conclusion In spite of appropriate test-retest scores attributed to most reliability indicators, heterogeneity among the studies remained high. Therefore, further studies with low risk of bias are needed to support the reliability of the self-reported The International Fitness Scale.
Highlights
Physical fitness is a predictor of health problems
Kappa coefficients attributed to International Fitness Scale (IFIS) domains in selected studies were as follows: overall physical fitness - moderate, substantial and almost perfect agreement in two, four and two articles, respectively; cardiorespiratory fitness - moderate, substantial and almost perfect agreement in three articles, respectively; muscle strength - moderate, substantial, fair and almost perfect agreement in three, two, one and two articles, respectively; speed/agility - moderate, substantial and almost perfect agreement in four, one and three articles, respectively; flexibility – substantial, moderate and almost perfect agreement in three, three and two articles, respectively (Figure 2)
Findings of this study revealed that testretest reliability of IFIS domains determined using Kappa coefficients of agreement is valid for assessing overall physical fitness and related components (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, speed/agility einstein (São Paulo). 2020;18:1-9
Summary
Direct physical fitness measurement methods are considered gold standard. These methods have limitations, such as need for laboratories, high costs of equipment, need for a specialized team and difficult interpretation of findings.[2,3] Questionnaires are an alternative for epidemiological studies, in developing countries,(4) due to their user-friendly nature, low cost, reliability and reproducibility.[5]. Instruments with accurate psychometric properties, capable of reproducing a given outcome consistently within time and space, or across different observers (reliability), are required for studies aimed to estimate physical fitness, identify associated risk factors, analyze relations with different outcomes, and assess effectiveness of training programs.[9].
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