Assessment of total energy expenditure in a Chinese population by a physical activity questionnaire: examination of validity

Abstract

A physical activity questionnaire from which total daily energy expenditure (TEE) could be estimated was developed for adult Hong Kong Chinese subjects, and its reliability and validity examined. The questionnaire was based on questionnaires used in Caucasians, and adapted for local lifestyle after focus group meetings involving subjects of all age groups. The questionnaire was administered to 94 subjects, consisting of healthy adults, the elderly, and two patient groups (those with renal disease on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and those with cancer). Seventy-one subjects were reinterviewed within 14 days to test reliability. Validity was examined in 31 normal subjects by measuring the basal metabolic rate (BMR) by indirect calorimetry and multiplying by the physical activity level (PAL) obtained from published studies using the doubly labelled water method and also from FAO/WHO/UNU to obtain the TEE. The intraclass correlation coefficient of reliability rages from 0.7 to 0.8 for all subject groups. The mean estimated TEE from the questionnaire was not significantly different from the mean value derived from measured BMR x PAL. The mean bias ranged from an underestimation of 27 kcal to overestimation of 215 kcal. However, the limits of variability were wide. Age was inversely related to the energy expended for occupational activities, but was positively associated with energy expended in leisure activities. Women spent less energy on occupational and exercise activities, and more on caretaking activities. Those with disease were also less likely to participate in caretaking activities. We conclude that this questionnaire may be a useful tool for future studies where energy expenditure needs to be estimated in various settings in the Hong Kong Chinese population.

Nonexercise movement in elderly compared with young people

“…There have not been detailed prior studies looking specifically at nonexercise movement in the healthy elderly population. Questionnaire-based studies have identified that age is inversely related to energy expenditure for occupation, that women may overvalue housework/caretaking activities in questionnaires, and that the utility in assessing free-living activity with questionnaires may still need to be established (3,11,21,36). There is one study focusing on nocturnal nonexercise movement in healthy elderly subjects that utilizes a wrist-worn activity monitor, suggesting that there is no effect of age in males on nocturnal nonexercise movment and that the duration of nocturnal immobility periods for females is greater than in males (47).…”

Assessment of physical function and participation in chronic pain clinical trials: IMMPACT/OMERACT recommendations

“…The Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) 39 The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPAQ) 38 The Physical Activity and Disability Survey (PADS) 155 The Physical Activity Questionnaire 117 The Quality of Well-Being Scale, Version 1.04 (QWB) 96 The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) 20 Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) 112 Human Activity Profile …”

Validity and reliability of the Chinese translation of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE)

“…Of these 35 questionnaires, 7 enabled estimation of the metabolic equivalent or energy cost and 2 were able to be selfadministered (the Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly). However, the Physical Activity Questionnaire [23] has 55 questions, and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly has only 12 items which is an important consideration for reasons of participant burden.…”