Comparison of the Portuguese Version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) with Accelerometry for Classifying Physical Activity among Pregnant Women with Obesity

Abstract

In recent years, the number of pregnant women with obesity has increased exponentially; thus, it is important to evaluate and characterize the physical activity levels of this specific group. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire and Pregnancy Questionnaire in pregnant women with obesity and to classify physical activity using the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire and accelerometry. An analytical observational study was carried out between May and August of 2019 at the University Hospital Center of São João, with a sample of 31 pregnant women with obesity (30.9 ± 4.6 years 36.5 ± 4.6 kg/m2 of BMI and 21.5 ± 9 gestational weeks). The physical activity of participants was evaluated using an accelerometer and Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire at two time points (the first visit at the moment of consultation and the second seven days after, with accelerometer retest), the interclass correlation coefficient was used to test reliability between the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire filled out at visit1 and the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire filled out at visit2, and Pearson’s correlation was used to determine validity between the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire and accelerometry. The interclass correlation coefficient values for total activity were 0.95, 0.97 for moderate and 0.58 for vigorous intensities. It ranged from 0.74 for sports/exercise to 0.96 for domestic activities. The Pearson’s correlations showed that the Physical Activity and Pregnancy Questionnaire is moderately valid for moderate intensity (r = 0.435). A total of 67.7% of the pregnant women complied with international physical activity recommendations.

The Influence of Pregestational Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Patterns on Maternal, Delivery, and Newborn Outcomes in a Sample of Portuguese Pregnant Women: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Second, questionnaires are simple tools and easy to apply in research, however, self-reported measures can lead to possible classification errors [30]. This concern was minimized through the use of a developed and validated questionnaire for the pregnancy population [28, 32, 63] and with the use of accelerometry which evaluates objectively the PA levels. Future studies with tailored PA and exercises programs, specifically in pregnant women with pre-obesity and obesity, are needed to explore the impact of these factors on the health and quality of life of mother and offspring.…”

“…Proper assessments of PA are important for determining both trends and health benefits and their effects over time. PA can be evaluated using objective methods, such as accelerometers and/or subjectively based on questionnaires [28]. The PA was objectively assessed by accelerometry and subjectively assessed by questionnaire.…”