Physical activity and functional capacity measurement in women: A report from the NHLBI-sponsored WISE study

Physical activity and functional capacity have not been assessed by questio nnaire for criterion validity in women. We wished to evaluate the ability o f a physical activity and a functional capacity assessment questionnaire to predict functional capacity measured by treadmill exercise stress testing, as well as correlate with cardiac risk factors and angiographic coronary a rtery disease (CAD) in women. In a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-sponsored cross-sectional population study involving four academic medical centers, 476 women with cardiac risk factors undergoing coronary a ngiography for evaluation for suspected myocardial ischemia were enrolled i n the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE). The main outcome measure s were functional capacity measured during: symptom-limited exercise treadm ill testing, cardiac risk factors, and CAD, using core laboratory-determine d measures. Physical activity measured by the Postmenopausal Estrogen and P rogesterone Intervention physical activity questionnaire (PEPI-Q) and funct ional capacity measured by the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionna ire, correlated with functional capacity measured in metabolic equivalents (METS), as estimated during: symptom-limited exercise treadmill testing ( r = 0.27, p = 0.001 and r = 0.31, p = 0.0002, respectively). The DASI was a significant independent predictor of functional capacity even after adjustm ent for cardiac risk factors, and the PEFI-Q was not. The DASI and PEPI-Q s cores were inversely associated with higher numbers and levels of cardiac r isk factors, as well as angiographic CAD. The DASI questionnaire is a reaso nable correlate of functional capacity achieved during symptom-limited trea dmill exercise testing in women with suspected myocardial ischemia. Lower f unctional capacity or physical activity measured by the DASI and PEPI-Q, re spectively, is associated with more prevalent cardiac risk factors and angi ographic CAD. These findings suggest that the DASI and, to a lesser extent, the PEPI-Q have criterion validity for use in health-related research in w omen.