Comparability of accelerometer- and IPAQ-derived physical activity and sedentary time in South Asian women: A cross-sectional study

Background: There is limited research documenting objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary (ST) in South Asian (SA) women, with no published evidence of the validity of self-report methods for assessment of PA/ST in SA. The purpose of this study was to compare accelerometer- and IPAQ-derived PA/ST among SA women in the United Kingdom (UK) via a mixed methods approach. Methods: 140 SA women wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days; a sub-sample (n=50) completed the IPAQ-Short form (IPAQ-SF) and a brief structured interview. Results: Accelerometer-derived MET.min.wk-1 MVPA (mean+/-SD) for the full sample was 793.94(+/-519.44) and mean accelerometer-derived STwk was 530.20(+/-81.76). IPAQ-SF derived MVPA (MET.min.wk-1) was 636.80(+/-2113.56) and mean STwk was 315.31(+/-266.98). Pearson correlations were not significant between accelerometer- and IPAQ-SF-assessed MVPA (r=-.119, p=.579), and ST (r=-.140, p=.229). Major themes synthesized from interviews included inability to recall sitting time, and limited general knowledge of real-life examples of MVPA. Conclusions: These results suggest that the IPAQ-SF may not accurately measure PA/ST in UK SA women. These findings are supported by qualitative evidence indicating several issues with interpretation and recall of PA/ST as assessed via this questionnaire.