Abstract

PEREZ, J. Carola et al. Validation of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Scale (RAPA) in an Adult Chilean Population Seeking Primary Care. Aquichan [online]. 2015, vol.15, n.4, pp.486-498. ISSN 1657-5997.  https://doi.org/10.5294/aqui.2015.15.4.4.

Introduction: Physical activity is vital to health care and having instruments to measure and monitor changes in people who are physically active is essential. Objectives: Culturally adapt the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire and estimate its psychometric properties, validity and reliability as an instrument to measure the level of physical activity among adults seeking primary care at health centers in Santiago (Chile). Materials and Methods: The adapted RAPA was applied to 180 adults who were being treated at five health centers. Their body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) was determined. Results: The scores on the RAPA scale were inversely and significantly linked to waist circumference and BMI. Persons categorized as having low levels of physical activity (i.e., little activity and little regular light activity) have a higher BMI, on average, and are more often categorized with altered WC. The reliability of the instrument was moderate (r = 61; K = 0.34). Conclusions: The Spanish language version of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire adapted for Chile is a user-friendly application. Despite being only moderately reliable, it is sensitive to the development of physical activity, which shows a coherent connection to the anthropometric parameters of BMI and WC that are sensitive to this kind of activity.

Keywords : Validation studies; motor activity; self-reporting; primary health care; self-care.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )