Validation of a weight-bearing physical activity questionnaire in a study of bone density in girls and women

The purpose of this study is to validate a physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) developed to classify adolescent girls and young adult women according to their level of weight-bearing activities. Twenty-six girls age 11-15 years and 29 women age 20-25 years reported average weekly times spent in several physical activities that were classified according to their weight-bearing levels. The relative validity of the PAQ was determined by comparing findings with a S-day recording using a Caltrac accelerometer (3DCal) and a 3-day activity diary (3DAD). In the girls, no significant correlations were found between PAQ scores and either 3DCal or 3DAD. In the women, however, significant associations were observed between PAQ and both of these measures (r = .58 and .77, respectively). The validity of PAQ in women is supported by this study, but not in girls.