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Background:
The purpose of the International Physical Activity Questionnaires
(IPAQ) is to provide a set of well-developed instruments that can be
used internationally to obtain comparable estimates of physical
activity. There are two versions of the questionnaire. The short
version is suitable for use in national and regional surveillance
systems and the long version provide more detailed information often
required in research work or for evaluation purposes.
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Rationale:
The public health burden of a sedentary
lifestyle has been recognized globally, but until recently, the
prevalence and impact of the problem has not been studied in a uniform
and systematic fashion. The questionnaire is the most feasible
instrument for measuring physical activity in large groups or
populations. However, many of the existing instruments are not
comparable in the type of activities surveyed (i.e., leisure-time
activities only) and format for data collection.
In response to the global demand for comparable and
valid measures of physical activity within and between countries, IPAQ
was developed for surveillance activities and to guide policy
development related to health-enhancing physical activity across
various life domains.
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