Adapting and Validating the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for Trivandrum, India, 2013

INTRODUCTION: A limitation of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in assessing physical activity in India is that it does not capture the diversity of activities across cultures and by sex. The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt and validate the GPAQ by using an accelerometer in Thiruvananthapuram City, India. METHODS: We developed a modified version of the GPAQ by adding a physical activity chart specific to the locale. We identified local physical activities through in-depth interviews, group discussions, and observation, and used Actigraph GT3X accelerometers to validate the modified GPAQ for a subsample of 47 women. Participants were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 1,303 women aged 18 to 64 years, selected by multistage cluster sampling. Spearman rank correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine the correlation and level of agreement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the basis of accelerometer measurement and the modified GPAQ. RESULTS: The correlation for MVPA between the modified GPAQ (overall) and the accelerometer (non-bouted MVPA) was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39–0.85) with a moderately high ICC of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.56–0.90). The correlation for MVPA between the modified GPAQ and the accelerometer-based MVPA within bouts of at least 10 minutes was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.26–0.80) with an ICC of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.20–0.77) indicating a moderate level of agreement. CONCLUSION: The GPAQ can be used for assessing physical activity among women in India, and its adaptation and validation may be useful in other low-income or middle-income countries where activities are diverse in type and intensity.