Reliability of the telephone-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire in an Italian pilot sample

<p><strong>Background:</strong> the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is an instrument for crossnational monitoring of physical activity and inactivity. The aim of the study was the reliability evaluation of the Italian telephone-administered IPAQ version in Rome...

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Main Authors: Alice Mannocci, Claudio Bontempi, Vittoria Colamesta, Filippo Ferretti, Guglielmo Giraldi, Annamaria Lombardi, Angela Meggiolaro, Anna Miani, Silvia Miccoli, Annalisa Rosso, Rosella Saulle, Brigid Unim, Antonio Boccia, Giuseppe La Torre
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2013-10-01
Series:Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
Online Access:http://ebph.it/article/view/8860
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Summary:<p><strong>Background:</strong> the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is an instrument for crossnational monitoring of physical activity and inactivity. The aim of the study was the reliability evaluation of the Italian telephone-administered IPAQ version in Rome.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> the IPAQ short form (IPAQ-SF), consisting of 7 items, was administered. The responses, used to compute Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET in minutes per week), were processed to analyze the internal consistency. Standardized Cronbach’s alpha was used for reliability estimation.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> a total of 133 adults (51 males and 82 females) participated in the study, with a mean age of 51 years (SD=19). The mean MET was 4 130, corresponding to good physical activity levels. The standardized Cronbach’s alpha on 6 items, concerning time spent on vigorous and moderate activity and walking, was 0.614.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> according to the findings from other countries, the Italian IPAQ-SF has acceptable measurement properties, as good as other established self-reports. The IPAQ-SF has a questionable reliability as previously reported, but the results of the present pilot study are promising and suggest that these instruments can be used to compare population estimates of physical activity.</p>
ISSN:2282-0930