title: Physical activity in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis: Validating a questionnaire for clinical practice and research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge regarding physical activity (PA) and its benefits in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) is growing and suggests high levels of inactivity. The utility of a validated screening tool for clinical settings is unknown. This study evaluated the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) as a measure of PA in POMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  POMS patients (n=27) and healthy controls (n=45) wore an accelerometer over a 7-day period and then completed the GLTEQ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GLTEQ captured expected group differences in PA for vigorous, moderate, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), confirmed by accelerometry. There was a large, positive correlation between GLTEQ and accelerometry scores for vigorous PA in POMS (r=0.736, p=0.001), and a nearly significant and moderate, positive correlation between MVPA scores (r=0.319, p=.053).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide evidence that supports the validity of GLTEQ scores as measures of vigorous and MVPA in POMS. Researchers and clinicians might adopt this scale for measuring PA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kinnett-Hopkins
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, The Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: E Ann
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. Electronic address: robmotl@uab.edu.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Motl
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Measurement; Multiple sclerosis; Pediatric; Physical activity; Validity