The criterion validity of a last 7-day physical activity questionnaire (SAPAQ) for use in adolescents with a wide variation in body fat: the Stockholm Weight Development Study.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the criterion validity of a newly developed self-reported last 7-day physical activity questionnaire (SAPAQ) for use in Swedish adolescents with a wide variation in body fatness. We compared the self-reported total number of MET-minutes with objectively assessed variables of physical activity obtained by accelerometry in 49 (18 male, 31 female subjects) 17-year-old adolescents. Self-reported physical activity was significantly and inversely related to time spent sedentary (r=-0.45; P<0.001) and significantly and positively associated with time spent in physical activity (r=0.51; P<0.001) and the total amount of physical activity (r=0.49; P<0.001). Gender and body fat did not affect the associations between self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity. Our results indicate that the newly developed questionnaire is a valid method for ranking individuals in terms of the total amount of physical activity in Swedish adolescents.