Table 3 Physical (in)activity parameters calculated from the FPACQ and the combination of the SenseWear Armband and electronic diary (SWD)

Sedentary behavior (hours.week^-1)

How much time do you usually spend sitting on a weekday/weekend day? This may include time spent sitting at a desk, visiting friends, reading, studying or watching television.

(Hours spent sitting on a weekday * 5) + (hours spent sitting on a weekend day * 2)

Sum of all minutes with a MET-value ≤1.8 MET minus minutes spent sleeping

→ Response: <30 min.day^-1 to ≥10 hours.day^-1

Moderate physical activity (hours.week^-1)

1) During a usual week, on how many days do you do moderate physical activities? Moderate activities refer to activities that take moderate physical effort and make you breathe somewhat harder than normal, like carrying light loads, bicycling at a regular pace, or doubles tennis. Do not include walking. Think only about those activities that you did for at least 10 min at a time.

Number of days with moderate activities * hours per day spent on moderate activities

Sum of all bouts of at least 10 min with a MET-value ≥3 but <6

→ Response: 0 to 7 days.week^-1

2) How much time do you usually spend doing moderate physical activities on one of those days?

→ Response: 10 to ≥120 min.day^-1

Vigorous physical activity (hours.week^-1)

1) During a usual week, on how many days do you do vigorous physical activities? Vigorous activities refer to activities that take hard physical effort and make you breathe much harder than normal, like heavy lifting, digging, aerobics or fast bicycling. Think only about those activities that you did for at least 10 min at a time.

Number of days with vigorous activities * hours per day spent on vigorous activities

Sum of all bouts of at least 10 min with a MET-value ≥6

→ Response: 0 to 7 days.week^-1

2) How much time do you usually spend doing vigorous physical activities on one of those days?

→ Response: 10 to ≥120 min.day^-1

Total EE (METhours.week^-1)

1) EE of remaining inactive leisure time= (168 - time job - time sports - time household chores - time active transport - time motorized transport - time eating - time sleeping) * 1.5 MET

Sum of min-by-min MET-values over the entire week

2) EE job + EE sports + EE household chores + EE active transport + EE motorized transport + EE eating + EE sleeping + EE remaining inactive leisure time

PAL (MET)

Total EE/168

Average of min-by-min MET- values over the entire week

Time job (hours.week^-1)

How many hours a week do you usually spend doing your main/additional occupation?

Hours per week spent on main occupation + hours per week spent on additional occupation

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘job’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0-5 to >60 hours.week^-1

EE job (METhours.week^-1)

During a usual week at your main/additional occupation, what percentage of the time do you engage in 1) light activities (sitting, standing without lifting or carrying weights,…), 2) moderate activities (lifting or carrying weights, walking continuously,…), 3) vigorous activities (lifting or carrying moderate to heavy weights, construction worker,…)

(Hours spent on main occupation * % light * 2 MET) + (hours spent on main occupation * % moderate * 3 MET) + (hours spent on main occupation * % vigorous * 4 MET) + (hours spent on additional occupation * % light * 2 MET) + (hours spent on additional occupation * % moderate * 3 MET) + (hours spent on additional occupation * % vigorous * 4 MET)

Sum of min-by-min MET-values where the indicated activity was ‘job’

→ Response: 0 to 100% for each of the three intensity levels

Time sports (hours.week^-1)

1) What is your most important sport?

1) Conversion of the reported duration of the first, second and third sport into average hours per week over one year

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘sports’ in the electronic diary (All separately indicated sports were combined)

→ Response: list of 200 different sports

2) How frequently do you perform your most important sport?

2) Hours per week spent on first sport + hours per week spent on second sport + hours per week spent on third sport

→ Response: 1 week.year^-1 to >7 times per week

3) How much time do you spend on your most important sport?

→ Response: <7 hours during 1 week.year^-1 to >20 hours.week^-1

4) How many months a year do you practice your most important sport?

→ Response: 1 to 12 months per year

Same four questions for the second and third most important sport

EE sports (METhours.week^-1)

(Hours per week spent on first sport * MET-value first sport) + (hours per week spent on second sport * MET-value second sport) + (hours per week spent on third sport * MET-value third sport)

Sum of min-by-min MET-values where the indicated activity was ‘sports’

Screen time (hours.week^-1)

How many hours do you usually spend watching TV/video or playing computer games on a weekday/weekend day?

(Hours per day spent on a weekday * 5) + (hours per day spent on a weekend day * 2)

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘watching TV/movies’ and ‘playing or working on the computer for leisure’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0 to ≥6 hours.day^-1

Time household chores (hours.week^-1)

How many hours a week do you usually spend doing home or garden activities of 1) light intensity (cooking, ironing, watering flowers,…), 2) moderate intensity (vacuuming, mowing lawn,…), 3) vigorous intensity (scrubbing, digging,…)

Hours per week spent on light household chores + hours per week spent on moderate household chores + hours per week spent on vigorous household chores

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘in-house activities’ and ‘garden activities’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0 to >14 hours.week^-1

EE household chores (METhours.week^-1)

(Hours per week spent on light household chores * 2.5 MET) + (hours per week spent on moderate chores * 3.5 MET) + (hours per week spent on vigorous chores * 4.5 MET)

Sum of min-by-min MET-values where the indicated activity was ‘in-house activities’ or ‘garden activities’

Time active transport (hours.week^-1)

1) How many days a week do you usually walk to and from your main/additional occupation?

(Number of days * hours per day spent on walking to and from main occupation) + (number of days * hours per day spent on walking to and from additional occupation) + (number of days * hours per day spent on cycling to and from main occupation) + (number of days * hours per day spent on cycling to and from additional occupation) + (hours per weekday spent on transportation on foot in leisure time * 5) + (hours per weekday spent on transportation by bike in leisure time * 5) + (hours per weekend day spent on transportation on foot in leisure time * 2) + (hours per weekend day spent on transportation by bike in leisure time * 2)

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘transportation on foot’ and ‘transportation by bike’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0 to 7 days.wk^-1

2) How many minutes do you usually walk to and from your main/ additional occupation on such days?

→ Response: 0-10 to >120 min.day^-1

3) In leisure time, how many minutes do you usually spend on transportation on foot, on a weekday/weekend day?

→ Response: no transportation in this way to >120 min.day^-1

Same three questions for transportation by bike

EE active transport (METhours.week-¹)

Time active transport *4 MET

Sum of min-by-min MET- values where the indicated activity was ‘transportation on foot’ or ‘transportation by bike’

Time motorized transport (hours.week-¹)

1) How many days a week do you usually make use of a car, train, tramcar, bus or motorcycle for commuting to and from your main/ additional occupation?

(Number of days * hours per day spent on motorized transport to and from main occupation) + (number of days * hours per day spent on motorized transport to and from additional occupation) + (hours per weekday spent on motorized transport in leisure time * 5) + (hours per weekend day spent on motorized transport in leisure time *2)

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘motorized transport’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0 to 7 days.week-¹

2) How many minutes do you usually spend on transportation by car, train, tramcar, bus or motorcycle to and from your main/additional occupation on such days?

→ Response: 0-10 to >120 min.day-¹

3) In leisure time, how many minutes do you usually spend on transportation by car, train, tramcar, bus or motorcycle on a weekday/ weekend day?

→ Response: no transportation in this way to >120 min.day-¹

EE motorized transport (METhours.week-¹)

Time motorized transport * 1.5 MET

Sum of min-by-min MET- values where the indicated activity was ‘motorized transport’

Time eating (hours.week-¹)

How many minutes a day to you usually spend eating your daily meals?

Hours per day spent eating *7

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘eating/drinking’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: 0-10 to >120 min.day-¹

EE eating (METhours.week-¹)

Time eating * 1.8 MET

Sum of min-by-min MET- values where the indicated activity was ‘eating/drinking’

Time sleeping (hours.week-¹)

How many hours a night do you usually spend sleeping?

Hours per night spent sleeping * 7

Sum of all minutes reported as ‘sleeping/resting’ in the electronic diary

→ Response: <5 to >12 hours.night-¹

EE sleeping (METhours.week-1)

Time sleeping * 0.9 MET

Sum of min-by-min MET- values where the indicated activity was ‘sleeping’