International Physical Activity Questionnaire

Abstract

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is a standardized, self-report instrument designed to estimate an individual’s level of physical activity. The instrument is utilized for surveillance and research purposes across diverse populations globally. The long form of the questionnaire consists of 31 questions divided across five domains of daily activity. The scoring system aggregates the frequency and duration of activities, where a higher cumulative score corresponds to a greater volume or intensity of physical activity performed by the respondent.

Keywords

IPAQ, Physical Activity, Movement, Mobility, Health Assessment, Self-Report Questionnaire, Adults, Older Adults, Cardiovascular Health, Metabolic Equivalent of Task.

Authors

International consensus group (1998).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the IPAQ is to provide a reliable and standardized method for the cross-national comparison and surveillance of physical activity levels in general populations. It was developed in response to the need for globally comparable data on health behaviors related to movement and energy expenditure.

The scale measures activities across three specific intensity levels—walking, moderate-intensity activities, and vigorous-intensity activities—providing data essential for classifying individuals according to established health guidelines and understanding the relationship between human movement and various chronic health outcomes, particularly concerning the circulatory and respiratory systems.

Construct

The central construct measured by the IPAQ is total physical activity, operationalized by quantifying the frequency (days per week) and duration (time per day) spent in specific activities over the last seven days. These activities are categorized into four main domains: leisure time, domestic and gardening activities, work-related activities, and transport-related activities.

Scoring of the IPAQ involves translating reported duration and frequency into standardized units, typically expressed in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes per week. This standardized metric allows researchers to aggregate different types of activity (e.g., walking, moderate, vigorous) into a single, comparable measure of energy expenditure, facilitating its use in large-scale epidemiological studies.

Validity

The validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire has been extensively evaluated across numerous countries and cultural contexts. Initial validation studies demonstrated reasonable criterion validity when compared against objective measures like accelerometers, particularly in the assessment of vigorous activity.

While self-report instruments often carry the risk of recall bias, the IPAQ is generally considered a valid tool for ranking individuals by their activity levels within a population. Its structural design, which captures multiple domains of life (work, home, transport), ensures that it assesses a broad spectrum of movement relevant to public health research.

Reliability

The reliability of the IPAQ, especially the short form (IPAQ-SF), is deemed acceptable for large-scale population surveillance and monitoring. Test-retest reliability studies typically report moderate to strong coefficients (often ranging from 0.60 to 0.80), indicating that the instrument provides stable measurements over short intervals (e.g., one to two weeks).

The consistency of the IPAQ is generally robust across diverse samples, although variations in reliability can be observed based on the administration method (e.g., telephone vs. self-administered) and the specific age group being assessed, necessitating careful consideration during implementation.

Factor Analysis

Although the IPAQ is primarily designed to yield a single composite score (Total Physical Activity MET-min/week), factor analytic studies have been conducted to explore its underlying structure. These analyses often confirm a multi-domain structure reflecting the environmental contexts of activity (work, transport, leisure, household).

More detailed analyses support a categorization based on intensity, yielding three primary factors: walking, moderate activity, and vigorous activity. This factor structure aligns directly with the public health model of physical activity recommendations, confirming the instrument’s utility in classifying respondents into clinically relevant categories of activity participation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Questionnaire

Format: Available in long (31 items, 5 domains) and short (7 items) versions. The short form (IPAQ-SF) is often preferred for large-scale epidemiological studies due to time constraints. The original PDF instructions can be downloaded here: Toelichtingsformulier. The IPAQ long form instrument PDF can be downloaded here: IPAQ. The IPAQ short form instrument PDF can be downloaded here: IPAQ-SF.

Language Available: Developed for international use, available in numerous languages through standardized translation and cultural adaptation protocols.

Population Group: General population, specifically validated for Adults and Older Adults.

Age Group: Typically utilized for individuals aged 15–69 years, but often adapted for use in older populations.

Population Details: Suitable for assessing mobility/movement levels and their relationship to various health conditions, particularly those associated with the circulatory and respiratory systems.

Test Methodology: Retrospective self-report covering activity over the last seven days. Scoring involves applying standardized MET values to reported minutes of activity per week to calculate total energy expenditure.

Keywords

IPAQ-SF, METs, Surveillance, Epidemiology, Energy Expenditure, Walking, Vigorous Activity, Questionnaire, International Standardization, IPAQ.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The IPAQ is generally considered a public domain instrument intended for non-commercial research and surveillance purposes, and is typically available free of charge for academic use. Users are encouraged to register their usage on the official IPAQ website to ensure adherence to standard protocols. The scale was formally developed and endorsed by the International consensus group in 1998, establishing the foundation for its global adoption.

Reference’s

The primary references detail the development and initial psychometric properties of the instrument, establishing its utility for international comparisons.

• Craig, C. L., Marshall, A. L., Sjöström, M., Bauman, A. E., Booth, M. L., Ainsworth, B. E., Pratt, M., Ekelund, U., Oldridge, A. B., Oja, P., Mudano, J. F., & Stoddart, J. C. (2003). International Physical Activity Questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(8), 1381–1395.

• Hagströmer, M., Oja, P., & Sjöström, M. (2000). Reliability and validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in a Swedish sample. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 10(3), 150–154.

• IPAQ Research Committee. (2005). Guidelines for data processing and analysis of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)—Short and Long Forms.

Items of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire / Internationale Vragenlijst in verband met Fysieke Activiteiten

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• De vragenlijst wordt gebruikt voor het inschatten van het fysieke activiteitniveau.

• De vragenlijst bestaat uit 31 vragen verdeeld over 5 deelgebieden.

• Een hogere score overeen komt met een fysiek zwaardere activiteit.