title: Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities.
abstract: We provide an updated version of the Compendium of Physical Activities, a coding scheme that classifies specific physical activity (PA) by rate of energy expenditure. It was developed to enhance the comparability of results across studies using self-reports of PA. The Compendium coding scheme links a five-digit code that describes physical activities by major headings (e.g., occupation, transportation, etc.) and specific activities within each major heading with its intensity, defined as the ratio of work metabolic rate to a standard resting metabolic rate (MET). Energy expenditure in MET-minutes, MET-hours, kcal, or kcal per kilogram body weight can be estimated for specific activities by type or MET intensity. Additions to the Compendium were obtained from studies describing daily PA patterns of adults and studies measuring the energy cost of specific physical activities in field settings. The updated version includes two new major headings of volunteer and religious activities, extends the number of specific activities from 477 to 605, and provides updated MET intensity levels for selected activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA. bainsworth@sph.sc.edu
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Haskell
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Whitt
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Strath
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bassett
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Emplaincourt
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Leon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012016:Reference Values; D009626:Terminology as Topic