title: Reliability and Validity of the PAQ-C Questionnaire to Assess Physical Activity in Children.
abstract: Physical activity (PA) assessment by questionnaire is a cornerstone in the field of sport epidemiology studies. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) has been used widely to assess PA in healthy school populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the PAQ-C questionnaire in Spanish children using triaxial accelerometry as criterion.
  
  
  
  Eighty-three (N = 46 boys, N = 37 girls) healthy children (age 10.98 ± 1.17 years, body mass index 19.48 ± 3.51 kg/m(2) ) were volunteers and completed the PAQ-C twice and wore an accelerometer for 8 consecutive days. Reliability was analyzed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the internal consistency by the Cronbach's α coefficient. The PAQ-C was compared against total PA and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) obtained by accelerometry.
  
  
  
  Test-retest reliability showed an ICC = 0.96 for the final score of PAQ-C. Small differences between first and second questionnaire administration were detected. Few and low correlations (rho = 0.228-0.278, all ps < .05) were observed between PAQ-C and accelerometry. The highest correlation was observed for item 9 (rho = 0.311, p < .01).
  
  
  
  PAQ-C had a high reliability but a questionable validity for assessing total PA and MVPA in Spanish children. Therefore, PA measurement in children should not be limited only to self-report measurements.
authors: Biodynamic and Body Composition Laboratory, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Malaga, Bulevar Louis Pasteur, 25, Campus of Teatinos, 29010, Málaga, Spain. benitez@uma.es.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Benítez-Porres
authors: Biodynamic and Body Composition Laboratory, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Malaga, Bulevar Louis Pasteur, 25, Campus of Teatinos, 29010, Málaga, Spain. ivanl@uma.es.
authors: Iván
authors: I
authors: López-Fernández
authors: San Sebastián Primary School, Av. de Mexico, S/N, 29650 Mijas, Málaga, Spain. juanfran_lee@yahoo.es.
authors: Juan Francisco
authors: JF
authors: Raya
authors: Julio Gurriarán Primary School, Rúa Lugo, 2, 32300 O Barco, Galicia, Spain. sabrinaalcar@edu.xunta.es.
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Álvarez Carnero
authors: Sport Medicine School, Andalucía Tech, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, Campus of Teatinos S/N, 29071, Málaga, Spain. alvero@uma.es.
authors: José Ramón
authors: JR
authors: Alvero-Cruz
authors: Biodynamic and Body Composition Laboratory, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Malaga, Bulevar Louis Pasteur, 25, Campus of Teatinos, 29010, Málaga, Spain. ecarnero@uma.es.
authors: Elvis
authors: E
authors: Álvarez Carnero
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
keywords: PAQ; accelerometry; childhood; self-reported physical activity; validation