Cited by 480Physical Activity and HealthSurvey Methodology and NonresponseStatistical Methods in Epidemiology

Addressing overreporting on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) telephone survey with a population sample

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Rzewnicki, Randy, Auweele, Yves Vanden, Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse De·2003·Public Health Nutrition

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine a possible problem of overreporting and to describe the degree of error with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short telephone protocol. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, using two different physical activity (PA) self-report protocols. SETTING: Telephone interviews about PA in Belgium. SUBJECTS: Fifty adults who had previously been interviewed with IPAQ in a national survey. RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent reported less PA with the modified procedure than with the IPAQ. Twenty-three of the 50 individuals were found to have reported some amounts of PA with the IPAQ (either walking, or vigorous or moderate PA) when they should have reported none. In total, based on their revised reports of PA, 50% fewer persons met PA recommendations than was the case with IPAQ. The overreporting could not be related to types of error-prone individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Overreporting of PA in population samples is a serious problem that could be reduced by implementing procedure changes without changing the IPAQ items themselves.

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  • Many of the observational studies rely on retrospective self-report measures of exercise, which may be prone to bias, inaccuracies, and misunderstanding of questions.

    “Many of the studies rely on retrospective self-report measures of exercise, which may be prone to bias, inaccuracies, and misunderstanding of questions [e.g., (50–52)].”

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  1. Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjo ¨stro ¨m M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, et al. and the IPAQ Consensus Group and the IPAQ Reliability and Validity Study Group. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): 12-country reliability and validity. Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. 2002; in press.
  2. Falkner KL, Trevisan M, Zielezny J, Freudenheim W, Winkelstein W, Fisher RP. Relative validity of recall of physical activity in the distant past [abstract]. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1994; 139: S17.

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Authors
Rzewnicki, R., Auweele, Y. V., & Bourdeaudhuij, I. D.
Affiliations
  • KU Leuven (BE)
  • Ghent University (BE)
Corresponding author
Rzewnicki, Randy
Venue
Public Health Nutrition
Published
2003-06
Volume
6
Issue
3
Pages
299-305
ISSN
  • 1368-9800 (ISSN-L)
  • 1475-2727
OpenAlex
W2151029516
Cited by
480
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 36
FWCI
3.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Public Health Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Keywords
overreporting, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, telephone surveys, measurement error, physical activity guidelines, questionnaire revision
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Belgium, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Disclosure, Telephone, Exercise

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