The overall aim of this study was to validate the EPIC physical activity questionnaire across EPIC centres. In addition, the validity of a newly devised questionnaire suitable for use in future follow-up studies of the EPIC population (RPAQ – Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire) and the short, last 7 day self-administered version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was also tested. Individual centres were also allowed to add country-specific self-report instruments.
This study was carried out across 10 European centres. A total of 1941 healthy participants were recruited, with a gender distribution similar to the EPIC cohort and similar in age to those originally recruited for the baseline assessments in the EPIC study, were recruited. Participants were asked to visit the study site two times, with the second visit four months subsequent to the first. At the first visit, the following measures were taken: 1) anthropometric characterisation; 2) body composition measurements; 3) eight minute step test; 4) free-living physical activity assessment. The second visit mimicked the first, with the addition of the three physical activity questionnaires. Average data on PAEE was used as the criterion instrument and compared to a 4 level physical activity index (sedentary, moderately inactive, moderately active, active) based on occupational and cycling and other physical exercises.
Status
Field work completed. Objective and subjective datasets from all centres is open to collaborative partners and has been used in number of publications. Further analysis and publication is ongoing.
Unit role
Unit led study. Unit responsible for data. Unit co-ordinated the study being carried out in 9 other European sites.
Funding
InterAct EU FP6 grant (Unit led) recruiting participants from the core-funded Fenland Study cohort.
Data sharing
We welcome proposals for projects and aim to make data as widely available as possible whilst safeguarding the privacy of our participants, protecting confidential data and maintaining the reputations of our studies and participants. Please see our Data Sharing pages for more information.
Publications
Selected publications:
Steene-Johannesen J, Anderssen SA, van der Ploeg HP, Hendricksen IJM, Donelly AE, Brage S, Ekelund U. Are self-report measures able to define individuals as physically active or inactive? MSSE (2016)
Oppert JM, Charles MA, Charreire H, Menai M, Bourdeaudhuij ID, Brage S, Lauzon-Guillain BD, Fagherazzi G, Balkau B. Home and work physical activity environments: associations with cardiorespiratory fitness in French women. IJERPH (2016)
Golubic R, May AM, Borch KB, Overvad K, Charles MA, Tormo Diaz MJ, Amiano P, Palli D, Valanou E, Vigl M, Franks PW, Wareham N, Ekelund U, Brage S. Validity of electronically administered Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ) in ten European countries. PLOS ONE (2014)
The InterAct Consortium. Validity of a short questionnaire to assess physical activity in 10 European countries. Eur J Epidemiol (2012)
Borch KB, Ekelund U, Brage S, Lund E. Criterion validity of a 10-category scale for ranking physical activity in Norwegian women. Int J Beh Nutr Phys Act (2012)
Contact us
For information about the EPIC-InterAct Physical Activity Validation Study, please contact:
Email: soren.brage@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 1223 769116
