Conference Agenda

Physical activity (PA) is one of the key factors influencing individual health. Consequently, many health initiatives and guidelines rely on PA data obtained using various measurement methods. However, different methods of PA assessment may produce varying results across different groups and populations.

A total of 306 healthy Slovene adults participated in the study. As subjective measures of PA, three of the most widely used PA questionnaires (PAQs) in the European Union were employed: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and the Physical Activity Questionnaire from the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-PAQ). UKK RM42 accelerometers were used as the objective measure of PA.

The results showed that participants in the Slovene sample overreported their PA when using PAQs compared with accelerometer-based measurements. Equivalence testing indicated that PA estimates obtained using the EHIS-PAQ were comparable to those measured by accelerometers, whereas results from the IPAQ and GPAQ differed significantly from the objective measurements. Additionally, when comparing participants with high and low fitness levels, individuals in the low-fitness group demonstrated greater levels of overreporting.

Physical activity questionnaires remain a valuable tool for assessing physical activity; however, their results should be interpreted with caution. The findings suggest that the choice of measurement method should be carefully considered with respect to the target population and the type of information required. Differences in reporting patterns were observed between participant groups, with more physically fit individuals showing the lowest levels of overreporting.