Examination of the Applicability of the Physical Activity Questionnaire from European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study in the Hong Kong Chinese Population

This study assessed the applicability of a four-level physical activity index, developed from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, to rank Hong Kong Chinese according to their physical activity 197 healthy participants were interviewed with the EPIC physical activity questionnaire (EPIC-PAQ) and the Hong Kong Physical Activity Questionnaire (HKPAQ). Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) was estimated using the HKPAQ. Physical activity ratio was calculated as a ratio of estimated TEE to measured BMR. The four-level physical activity index, namely inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, and active, derived using the EPIC-PAQ was compared with the corresponding physical activity ratio. Reproducibility of the EPIC-PAQ was assessed with participants completed the EPIC-PAQ twice with at least 14-day interval. There was significant trend across the physical activity index with the calculated physical activity ratio. Participants with higher physical activity ratio were categorized with physical activity index (r s =0.205, p=0.004). The reproducibility of the EPIC-PAQ was high (weighted kappa = 0.7, p<0.0001). The physical activity index derived by the EPIC-PAQ may be a reasonable measure to rank the physical activity level of Hong Kong Chinese.