Assessment of the physical activity level with two questions: validation with doubly labeled water.
OBJECTIVE
To validate a two-question questionnaire on physical activity with the doubly labeled water (DLW) method.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Nine volunteers, age 33-75 years, with a mean body mass index (BMI) (kg m(-2)) of 27.4.


METHODS
A questionnaire with one question on physical activity at work and one question on physical activity during leisure time. The answers were converted into a PAL (physical activity level=energy expenditure/basal metabolic rate) value, which was validated with the DLW method.


RESULTS
The mean values (s.d.) of PAL for the questionnaire and DLW measurements were 1.7 (0.1) and 1.7 (0.1), respectively, with a mean difference of 0.004 (0.172).


CONCLUSIONS
The results were promising to the extent that they could be used in large-scale epidemiological studies.
Johansson
G
G
Department of Health Behaviours, The Swedish National Institute of Public Health, Ostersund, Sweden. gunnar.johansson@fhi.se
Westerterp
K R
KR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004651:Employment; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014867:Water
D014867:Water