Validation of the QAPPA, a new tool for assessing physical activity among French-speaking elderly

Objective.-Self-reported questionnaires are often utilized for measuring physical activity level. However, there are few questionnaires written in French. The purpose of the present study is to present and discuss the psychometric data of a physical activity questionnaire developed for people age 60 years or over, the Questionnaire d'Activite Physique pour les Personnes Agees (QAPPA). Methods.-Fifty-six subjects (13 men), age 56-87 years-old, answered the QAPPA, some questions about their general health and functional limitations, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). QAPPA was administered once more, one week apart. Results.-QAPPA had acceptable test-retest reliability (r = 0.58, P<0.001) and good reproducibility (k = 0.714). Concurrent validity with IPAQ was r = 0.31 (p<0.05). Age was an important aspect in determining the level of physical activity (construct validity; P<0.05). Moreover, the QAPPA was able to lower the overestimation of the self-reported volume of moderate physical activity found in the IPAQ (Z = -3.211, P = 0.001). Conclusions.-Psychometric data support the validity of the QAPPA. However, a criterion validity study is needed to compare the QAPPA with objective measures of physical activity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.