Objective assessment of intensity categorization of the previous day physical activity recall questionnaire in 11–13 year old children

The Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR) self-report questionnaire asks children to categories their time in 30 min blocks under activity codes and activity intensity (ActInt). Text and visual descriptors of ActInt are used which include posture and stepping intensity. This study aimed to objectively examine postures and stepping activity associated with PDPAR ActInt. Forty-three (19M/24F) 11–13 year children completed the PDPAR and wore a physical activity monitor (8 d). Within 30 min blocks the % sitting/lying, standing and stepping, steps, cadence and sit-to-stand transitions (STS) were examined by PDPAR ActInt across and within all activity codes. Data (14 083 30 min blocks) showed from light to moderate ActInt lower sedentary time, higher standing and stepping time, steps, sit-to-stand transitions and cadence (all P < 0.001). Between moderate and hard ActInt, time sedentary was lower and time stepping, steps and STS higher (all P < 0.005). No significant differences between hard and very hard. There was a wide variation of activity levels between activity codes within ActInt. ActInt within the PDPAR was not used consistently between activity codes. However, over all codes children demonstrated that they could distinguish between light and moderate and in some objective measures between moderate and hard, but not between hard and very hard ActInt.