International Journal of Epidemiology 2001;30:1361-1368
© International Epidemiological Association 2001
Theory and Methods |
Development and validation of a questionnaire for the assessment of physical activity in epidemiological studies in Sub-Saharan Africa
a Cameroon Essential Non-communicable Disease Health Intervention Project, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
b Department of Diabetes, School of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
c Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Dr Jean Claude Mbanya, Head, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé Cameroon, PO Box 8046 Yaoundé, Cameroon. E-mail: jean-claude.mbanya{at}camnet.cm
Abstract
Objective To develop and validate a questionnaire for measuring physical activity within Sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods We designed the Sub-Saharan Africa Activity Questionnaire (SSAAQ), based upon existing questionnaires and an activity survey carried out in Cameroon. The questionnaire targeted past-year occupation, walking/cycling and leisure-time activities, and was administered by trained interviewers on two occasions, 10–15 days apart to 89 urban and rural consenting Cameroonians aged 19–68 years. Reliability was assessed by inter-interview comparison and repeatability coefficients (standard deviation of the test-retest difference). Validation was performed against a 24-hour heart rate monitoring and accelerometer recording.
Results The questionnaire was highly reproducible (
= 0.95; P < 0.001). The inter-interview difference did not differ significantly from 0, with a repeatability coefficient of 0.46–1.46 hours. Total energy expenditure from the questionnaire was significantly correlated to heart rate monitoring ( = 0.41–0.63; P < 0.05) and accelerometer measures ( = 0.60–0.74; P < 0.01). Subject's self ranking of their activity did not match the questionnaire's quartiles of activity.
Conclusions The present study presents the design and confirms the reliability and validity of SSAAQ in a rural and urban population of Cameroon and shows that subject's self ranking of activity might not accurately serve epidemiological purpose.
Keywords Questionnaires, heart rate, energy metabolism, exercise, reproducibility of results, Africa, monitoring, physiologic, epidemiology methods
Accepted 24 April 2001
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