Psychometric Properties of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children in a Cohort of Primary School Children From the UK

Background: In order to determine levels of physical activity in different populations accurate measurement tools are needed. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) is a self-administered seven-day recall questionnaire designed to assess MVPA in children aged 8 to 14 years. To date, the instrument has been validated in predominantly white Canadian samples. The purpose of the present study was to determine the psychometric properties of the PAQ-C in a cohort of children from the UK.

Method: Study one examined general test score characteristics, internal consistency, test re-test reliability and factor structure of the PAQ-C in a sample of primary school children from the West Midlands. Sensitivity to detect gender differences was also examined. Study two sought to determine the criterion validity of the PAQ-C by comparing it with four-day activity counts measured via accelerometry.

Findings: Results show that the PAQ-C had acceptable item and test score characteristics, such as item distribution, item total correlations and internal consistency. Results also supported the implied single factor structure of the PAQ-C in this population as well as its sensitivity to detect gender differences; as expected males were significantly more active than females. Two week test re-test reliability was acceptable.

Discussion: Preliminary analyses suggest that the PAQ-C is a valid and reliable method to assess MVPA in this group.