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Table 5 Authors' recommendations for improving IPAQ for older adults

From: What do IPAQ questions mean to older adults? Lessons from cognitive interviews

1

List in the instructions at the beginning the activities that will be asked for in the questionnaire (i.e., VPA, MPA, walking, sitting).

2

State in the instructions at the beginning and for each activity domain that activities already reported for one domain should not be reported again for another.

3

State in the instructions at the beginning and for the duration questions that only activities lasting at least 10 minutes during the previous 7 days should be included.

4

For VPA and MPA, state in the instructions to include only the amount of time spent at the specified intensity.

5

For VPA and MPA, state in the instructions that the examples given are only indicators of activities which might be done at the specified intensity and that the examples are not to be used as choice-limiting checklists.

6

Add examples of activities relevant to older adults and clarify activities mentioned as examples in the questionnaire.

7

Provide instructions for the walking activities to report.

8

Offer strategies for determining the frequency and duration of activities.

9

For duration questions, clarify or revise the phrase usually spent on one of those days.