Background To ensure accurate measurement of the health benefits of habitual physical activity in large sample epidemiological studies, physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) are the most feasible methods. Therefore, the purpose of this study was the validation and cultural adaptation to the Hungarian population of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-HL). Methods A cross-sectional study among Hungarian healthy adults (age 21.375 ± 1.940 years, n = 120) was performed comparing measures of last 7 days IPAQ-HL self- administered questionnaire and obtained accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X) data for concurrent validity, reassessed by a random subsample ( n = 33) to measure reliability. Results Our results indicate acceptable criterion validity for total physical activity, moderate to vigorous physical activity ( R = 0.387, p < 0.001; R = 0.331 p < 0.001 respectively) and moderate physical activity ( R = 0.193, p = 0.034). The ICC scores revealed moderate to good correlations (ICC = 0.744–0.942, p < 0.001). Moderate Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure (0.531, p < 0.001) and good reproducibility for vigorous, moderate to vigorous and moderate activities was found for IPAQ-HL in the studied population. Nevertheless, like analogous self-reports in other languages, it overestimates the time spent on physical activity. Conclusions IPAQ-HL proved to be a reasonably valid measure for population prevalence epidemiological studies and is suggested for use to develop public health policy recommendations or to optimize public health interventions. However, the results on vigorous activity should be interpreted with caution, the questionnaire showed moderate validity for this particular intensity.

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Background: Examining the level of physical activity in students is a vital issue as these young people are the future social elite. Methods: The research was conducted in the years 2013–2016 and comprised 5008 males and females, mean age of 20.5 ± 2.1 years, including 2237 (55.3%) students from students from Eastern European National University, Lutsk, and Ternopil State Medical University, Ukraine, as well as 2237 (44.7%) from the Visegrad countries, i.e., University of Pécs in Hungary, University in Kosice, Slovakia, University of Olomunec in the Czech Republic and the State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Poland. It applied a diagnostic survey—the extended version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), supplemented with original questions regarding body weight, height, self-assessment of physical fitness and amount of leisure time. Results: The comparison of students’ PA from selected European countries, members of the Visegrad group and Ukraine, is particularly vital to the latter country as it demonstrates a different level of socio-economic development. There was noted a significantly higher level of physical activity in students from the Visegrad countries than in Ukraine. Further, there was an overall lower level of physical activity in females compared to males. What was positive about the studied samples was a healthy BMI index in the majority of the male and female respondents, with a significantly higher indicator in Ukraine. Conclusions: Among the factors significantly affecting higher physical activity in both researched samples were the BMI and high self-assessment of physical fitness. There was no significant variation in the level of physical activity and the amount of leisure time, both in those studying in the Visegrad states and Ukraine.

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Both males and females showed pro-health attitudes related to the level of physical activity and nutrition- and silhouette-related behaviours.