Reliability and Validity of a Culturally Adaptive Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in Indian Subcontinent: A Cross‑sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) is one of the prime public health problems occurring globally. Regular PA is associated with a decrease in all‑causes of mortality irrespective of gender. The study was conducted to investigate the validity and an aspect of reliability of a modified version of the International
Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in the Indian subcontinent (InS).

Methods: Cross‑sectional study, to evaluate the validity and reliability of the InS IPAQ‑LF compared with a range of biological variables. In total, 198 participants (50% women) with a mean age of 35.6 (SD = 10.3) years selected from neighborhoods with variable socioeconomic status and PA.

Results: The InS IPAQ‑LF demonstrated good test‑retest reliability for total PA (Intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] =0.79, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.82),
occupational PA (ICC = 0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.82), active transportation (ICC = 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.87), and vigorous‑intensity activities (ICC = 0.82, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.87). Reliability was substantially higher for total PA (ICC = 0.80), occupational PA (ICC = 0.78), leisure‑time PA (ICC = 0.75), and active transportation (ICC = 0.80) in men than in women, but domestic PA (ICC = 0.38) and sitting time (ICC = 0.71) demonstrated more substantial reliability coefficients in women than in men.

Conclusions: The InS IPAQ‑LF demonstrated considerate evidence of test‑retest reliability and may be valid for evaluating context specific PA mannerisms of adults in InS.

Keywords: Exercise, Indian, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, lifestyle medicine, non‑communicable diseases, physical activity