Reliability of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in Research Settings: Last 7-Day Self-Administered Long Form

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the test–retest reliability of the last 7-day long form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Craig et al., 2003) and to examine the construct validity for the measure in a research setting. Participants were 151 male (n = 52) and female (n = 99) university students (M age = 24.15 years, SD = 5.01) who completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire on two separate occasions, separated by four days, and measures of physical activity motivation and competence at time one. Intraclass correlation coefficients for job-related, transportation, and household-related activities ranged from poor to acceptable (R = .42 to .73). For recreation and leisure time activity, reliabilities were fair to acceptable (R = .65 to .76). Reliability intraclass correlation coefficient values provided some support for the measure's potential usefulness in assessing job-related, walking as transportation, and moderate-intensity indoor household activities. Construct validity coefficients within and across contexts compared to physical activity motivation and competence measures were generally low (ρ = .02 to .32). Future studies should focus on improving International Physical Activity Questionnaire validity and reliability in specific contexts if its full benefits are to be realized.

Key words:

• exercise
• health surveys
• measurement
• self-report