title: Construct and convergent validity and repeatability of the Questionnaire d'Activité Physique pour les Personnes Âgées (QAPPA), a physical activity questionnaire for the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate repeatability, and construct and convergent validity of the Questionnaire d'Activité Physique pour les Personnes Âgées (QAPPA), a self-reported physical activity questionnaire for the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional and prospective (1-year follow-up) data from two postal surveys among members of the medical insurance scheme of the French national education system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire on general health and the QAPPA were sent out twice, with a 1-year interval. Participants were ≥60 years of age (sample size varied from 225 to 393 according to the analysis). Intraclass correlations, Bland-Altman plots (continuous variables) and kappa coefficients (categorical variable) were used for repeatability analyses. Comparison tests were performed (Wilcoxon rank sum test and Kruskal-Wallis test) for construct validity. Chi-squared test and correlation coefficients were used to establish the convergent validity of the QAPPA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The QAPPA had acceptable repeatability with a 1-year interval, with moderate test-retest correlation coefficients (from r = 0.46 to r = 0.64) and a fair-to-good kappa coefficient (κ = 0.44). It discriminated between individuals by age group (with younger persons being more physically active than older persons) and exercise behaviour (with regular exercisers being more active than non-exercisers). The QAPPA was negatively associated with decline in physical function and comorbidity, and was positively associated with self-reported health and satisfaction with body functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that the QAPPA is a valid tool for assessing the physical activity of older adults. It could be used for research purposes as well as for epidemiological surveillance.
authors.affiliation: UMR 7268 Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Bioculturelle, Droit, Santé et Ethique, Aix-Marseille Univ., CS80011, Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille, Cedex 15, France. Electronic address: philipebarreto81@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Souto Barreto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires