Validity Of A Visual Analog Scale For Assessing RPE

Abstract

PURPOSE: Traditional measures of ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are ordinal and thus violate statistical assumptions required for parametric analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of a visual analog RPE scale (VRPE) during physical activity. METHODS: Nine participants (M = 4, F = 5, AGE = 23±4 y) completed 9 separate, counter-balanced, trials. Each trial included 3 physical activity assessments: 1 mile run/walk, 1-minute push-up and 3-minute step test. Following each assessment, participants recorded their exertion using one of three scales: Borg 6-20, OMNI 0-10 or VRPE. VRPE required participants to mark a single perpendicular line intersecting a 100 mm horizontal line that represented their exertion level. The horizontal line was anchored on the left with “No Exertion” and on the right with “Maximal Exertion”. RESULTS: A Spearman-Rho rank order correlation revealed moderate, positive relationship between all RPEs (VRPE v. Borg; r = 0.71, p < 0.001, VPRE v. Omni; r = 0.75, p < 0.001, and Borg v. Omni; r = 0.87, p < 0.001). Test-retest analysis showed high reliability with no difference between VRPE scale measures (ICC = 0.97, p < 0.001; F (2.26) = 0.590, p = 0.56). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the VRPE could provide a valid continuous measurement for evaluating subjective ratings of exertion, although more research is warranted.