Zhongguo quanke yixue (Mar 2023)
Harvard Alumni Health Study Physical Activity Questionnaire for Chinese College Students: a Cross-validation Study
Abstract
Background In the field of physical activity and health research, a key issue is to measure and evaluate the physical activity level of different groups by using scientific methods. As a classic scale for measuring physical activity, Harvard Alumni Health Study Physical Activity Questionnaire (HAHS-PAQ) has been verified in many countries and different groups. However, there is still no report of the reliability and validity of this scale in Chinese college students. Objective To develop a Chinese version of the HAHS-PAQ (HAHS-PAQ-C) and to test its reliability and validity among Chinese college students. Methods The HAHS-PAQ-C was developed using the Brislin's approach. Then from December 2017 to April 2018, freshmen from Tsinghua University were recruited to attend a survey for testing the scale, among whom 116 and 166 cases completed the reliability and validity study, respectively. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to test the test-retest reliability of the HAHS-PAQ-C and its criterion validity with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer as the criterion. The Bland-Altman plot was adopted to evaluate the consistency of two physical activity measurements of HAHS-PAQ-C and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer. Results The correlation coefficients of total energy consumption, walking, climbing stairs and sports or leisure entertainment measured every other week with 2 repetitions by HAHS-PAQ-C were 0.504, 0.570, 0.711 and 0.429, respectively (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the correlation coefficients of total weekly energy consumption, medium- and high-intensity energy consumption and walking measured by HAHS-PAQ-C and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer were 0.441, 0.258 and 0.312, respectively (P<0.05). The result of Bland-Altman plot revealed that the average value of the mean of total energy consumption measured by HAHS-PAQ-C and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer was 1 778.78, of which 94.6% (157/166) points were within the 95%CI. Conclusion The cross-validation of the HAHS-PAQ-C in Chinese college students has proven it has good reliability and validity, and is feasible to be popularized, which could be used as a physical activity measurement tool for Chinese college students, and will provide assistance to Chinese college students to take exercise and interventions appropriately.
Keywords