ORIGINAL PAPER
Multi-instrument assessment of physical activity in female office workers
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1
Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey (Physical Education and Sports School)
2
Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey (Faculty of Sports Science)
3
Siirt University, Siirt, Turkey (Physical Education and Sports School)
4
Warsaw School of Economics, Warszawa, Poland (Collegium of World Economy, Department of Tourism)
Online publication date: 2016-08-30
Corresponding author
Sema Can
Hitit University, Physical Education and Sports School, Ulukavak Mh. 19040 Çorum, Turkey
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2016;29(6):937-45
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the multi-instrument assessment of physical activity in female office
workers. Material and Methods: Fifty healthy women (age (mean ± standard deviation): 34.8±5.9 years, body
height: 158±0.4 cm, body weight: 61.8±7.5 kg, body mass index: 24.6±2.7 kg/m2) workers from the same workplace
volunteered to participate in the study. Physical activity was measured with the 7-day Physical Activity Assessment
Questionnaire (7-d PAAQ), an objective multi-sensor armband tool, and also a waist-mounted pedometer, which were
both worn for 7 days. Results: A significant correlation between step numbers measured by armband and pedometer was
observed (r = 0.735), but the step numbers measured by these 2 methods were significantly different (10 941±2236 steps/
day and 9170±2377 steps/day, respectively; p < 0.001). There was a weak correlation between the value of 7-d PAAQ
total energy expenditure and the value of armband total energy expenditure (r = 0.394, p = 0.005). However, total
energy expenditure values measured by armband and 7-d PAAQ were not significantly different (2081±370 kcal/
day and 2084±197 kcal/day, respectively; p = 0.96). In addition, physical activity levels (average daily metabolic
equivalents (MET)) measured by armband and 7-d PAAQ were not significantly different (1.45±0.12 MET/day
and 1.47±0.24 MET/day, respectively; p = 0.44). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the correlation between
pedometer and armband measurements was higher than that between armband measurements and 7-d PAAQ selfreports.
Our results suggest that none of the assessment methods examined here, 7-d PAAQ, pedometer, or armband,
is sufficient when used as a single tool for physical activity level determination. Therefore, multi-instrument assessment
methods are preferable. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):937–945