Table 3.
Measurement error of sedentary behavior questionnaires for youth, sorted by age category and methodological quality
| Questionnaire | Study populationa | Time interval | Results | Methodological qualityb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschoolers (mean age <6 years) | ||||
| Preschool-aged Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (Pre-PAQ) [proxy] [48] |
n = 103 Age: 3- to 5-year-olds Sex: 48 % girls |
1–2 weeks | ME range from 5.5 min (time spent on the computer, weekend) to 13.8 min (time spent watching TV, week) | Good |
| Children (mean age ≥6 years and <12 years) | ||||
| Questionnaire for measuring length of sleep, TV habits and computer habits (proxy and non-proxy) [44] |
n = 138 Age: 6-, 7-, 10-, 14- and 16-year olds Sex: 53 % girls |
2 weeks | Time spent watching TV: PoA 75.5 % Time spent at a computer: PoA 84.6 % |
Fair |
| UP4FUN child questionnaire [62] |
n = 143 Age: 10- to 12-year-olds Sex: 57 % girls |
1 week | TV/DVD watching: PoA: weekdays 53 %, weekend days 39 %, yesterday 40 % Computer/game console: PoA: weekdays 53 %, weekend days 39 %, yesterday 48 % Breaking up TV/DVD watching: PoA 47 % Breaking up computer/game console: PoA 48 % Breaking up school lesson: PoA 65 % |
Fair |
| The Eating and Activity Questionnaire Trial (Project EAST) and a modified question of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)c [51] |
n = 245 Age: 11- to 15-year-olds Sex: 41 % girls |
1 week | Weekday TV, school year:d PoA: exact agreement 48.16; +1 category 86.94; percentage of children meeting recommendation of <2 h/day TV viewing 82.04 Weekend TV, school year: PoA: exact agreement 45.31; +1 category 81.22; percentage of children meeting recommendation of <2 h/day TV viewing 76.73 Weekday TV, summer: PoA: exact agreement 40.82; +1 category 74.69; percentage of children meeting recommendation of <2 h/day TV viewing 73.06 Weekend TV, summer: PoA: exact agreement 35.10; +1 category 74.69; percentage of children meeting recommendation of <2 h/day TV viewing 69.80 Computer use: PoA: exact agreement 50.20; +1 category 85.71; percentage of children meeting recommendation of <2 h/day TV viewing 82.45 |
Fair |
| The ENERGY-project Dietary and Physical Activity Habits of Children–child questionnaire [53] |
n = 730; Age: (11.3 ± 0.5–12.5 ± 0.6 years) Sex: 47–58 % girls |
1 week | TV watching: PoA: weekdays 42 %, weekend days 36 %, yesterday 36 % Computer use: PoA: weekdays 41 %, weekend days 38 %, yesterday 39 % Travel by car to school: PoA 84 % Transport today to school: PoA 83 % Travel by public transport to school: PoA 92 % Activity during breaks: PoA 86 % |
Fair |
| Selected indicators from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire [40] |
n = 95 Age: 11.7 ± 0.4 years (n = 44)/15.8 ± 0.3 years (n = 51) Sex: 55 % girls (n = 44) 39 % girls (n = 51) |
3 weeks | Playing PC or console games on school days: PoA 60 % Playing PC or console games at weekends: PoA 40 % Watching TV on school days: PoA 57 % Watching TV at weekends: PoA 38 % Doing homework on school days: PoA 56 % Doing homework at weekends: PoA 42 % Using PC on school days: PoA 41 % Using PC at weekends: PoA 32 % |
Fair |
| Older children and adolescents (mean age ≥12 years) | ||||
| Measures of out-of-school sedentary and travel behaviors of the international Healthy Environments and active living in teenagers – Hong Kong [iHealt(H)] study [45] |
n = 68 Age: 15.4 years Sex: 47 % girls |
13 days (range 8–16 days) | Watching TV/DVD/video: PoA 74 % Playing sedentary computer or video games: PoA 72 % Using internet/emailing/other electronic media for leisure: PoA 65 % Doing homework:e PoA 76 % Reading a book (not for school): PoA 62 % Riding in a car, bus, etc.: PoA 68 % |
Fair |
| Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire (ASAQ) [Brazilian version] [30] |
n = 122 Age: 14.0 ± 1.4 years (12–17) Sex: 51 % girls |
3 days | Total sedentary time (min): MD: 116.6 (min); LoA [−1750 to 1980] | Fair |
| Flemish Physical Activity Computer Questionnaire (FPACQ) [67] |
n = 33 Age: 14.4 ± 1.4 years Sex: 70 % girls |
9 days | Inactivity (TV and computer): Proportion agreement 0.74 | Fair |
MD mean difference, LoA limits of agreement, PoA percentage of agreement, ME measurement error, PC personal computer, COSMIN COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments
aAge presented as mean ± SD (range)
bBased on the COSMIN checklist
cTwo questionnaires combined
dModified question of the YRBS
eSignificant differences: doing homework, boys and girls: PoA 67 and 88 %, respectively