REPRODUCIBILITY OF A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ASSESSMENT OF PRESENT AND PASTPHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility o f a self-administered questionnaire about present and past physical ac tivities at work and during leisure time. Methods and design: The ques tionnaire, covering the period 1970-1993, comprised 12 questions on ph ysical activities at work, and 12, with similar wording, for such acti vities in leisure time. There were also four questions on physical tra ining. Two-week reproducibility (test-retest reliability) concerning t he period 1970-1993 was analysed ill a group of 44 subjects, and 1-yea r reproducibility, concerning current activities in 1993, was analysed in a second group of 123 subjects in relation to gender, age and low- back health. Results: Test-retest reliability calculated as intraclass correlation coefficients (r(i)) for physical activities at work (r(i) 0.41-0.98) exceeded that for leisure time and physical training activ ities (r(i) 0.33-0.68). Calculated correlations did not differ markedl y between past and present activities. No distinct influence of gender or low back health on 1-year reproducibility was found, in contrast t o a slight tendency towards higher reproducibility among subjects of 5 0 years and older compared with younger subjects. Conclusions: Reprodu cibility of this questionnaire about physical activities at work showe d no clear tendency to deteriorate regarding activities during the imm ediately preceding two decades. The questions about physical activitie s during leisure time have to be revised. Reliable retrospective infor mation about physical activities in leisure time could perhaps not be collected by self-administered questionnaires and other methods, e.g. interview-based questionnaires, may be more suitable.