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. 2012 Feb 15;14(1):e29.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.1974.

Active-Q: validation of the web-based physical activity questionnaire using doubly labeled water

Stephanie Erika Bonn  1 , Ylva Trolle Lagerros, Sara Elisabeth Christensen, Elisabeth Möller, Antony Wright, Arvid Sjölander, Katarina Bälter
Affiliations

Active-Q: validation of the web-based physical activity questionnaire using doubly labeled water

Stephanie Erika Bonn et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Increased use of the Internet provides new opportunities for collecting data in large studies. The aim of our new Web-based questionnaire, Active-Q, is to assess total physical activity and inactivity in adults. Active-Q assesses habitual activity during the past year via questions in four different domains: (1) daily occupation, (2) transportation to and from daily occupation, (3) leisure time activities, and (4) sporting activities.

Objective: The objective of our study is to validate Active-Q's energy expenditure estimates using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, and to assess the reproducibility of Active-Q by comparing the results of the questionnaire completed by the same group on two occasions.

Methods: The validity and reproducibility of Active-Q were assessed in a group of 37 individuals, aged 20 to 65 years. Active-Q was distributed via email to the participants. The total energy expenditure of the participants was assessed using DLW for 11 consecutive days.

Results: The median time to complete Active-Q was 6.1 minutes. The majority of participants (27/37, 73%) reported that the questionnaire was "easy" or "very easy" to answer. On average, Active-Q overestimated the total daily energy expenditure by 440 kJ compared with the DLW. The Spearman correlation between the two methods was r = 0.52 (P < .001). The intraclass correlation coefficient for total energy expenditure between the results of Active-Q completed on two occasions was 0.83 (95% CI 0.73-0.93).

Conclusions: Active-Q is a valid and reproducible method of assessing total energy expenditure. It is also a user-friendly method and suitable for Web-based data collection in large epidemiological studies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of study showing days that participants took doubly labeled water (DLW), provided urine samples, took the first questionnaire (Active-Q-I), and the second questionnaire (Active-Q-II).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screenshot of Active-Q screening question regarding mode of transportation to and from daily activities.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Screenshot of follow-up question for activities selected in screening question regarding transportation showing an example of possible answers.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Bland-Altman plot illustrating the difference in total daily energy expenditure (TEE) between Active-Q-I (adjusted to reflect a 24-hour day) and the DLW method. The absolute difference in TEE between Active-Q-I and DLW is plotted on the y-axis and the mean of the two assessments on the x-axis. Each data point represents one participant (n= 37).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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