Objective: To compare physical activity (PA) measured by 4 methods in adults under free-living conditions in relation to selected demographic and anthropometric variables.
Design: Cohort study.
Setting: Department of Sports Medicine.
Participants: Clinically healthy men (81) and women (69) aged 45 to 64 years.
Interventions: Physical activity monitoring for 7 consecutive days under free-living conditions by pedometer (P) and accelerometer (A) simultaneously and PA questionnaires: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Seven-Day Physical Activity Questionnaire Recall (SDPAR) completed after the 7-day PA.
Main outcome measures: Comparison of PA measured by pedometer, IPAQ, and SDPAR with accelerometer with regard to age, body mass, gender, and obesity type.
Results: Total energy expenditure (EE) by IPAQ was higher than A (P < 0.001) in both groups regardless of age, body mass, or obesity type. Mean EE value by P was greater than A (P < 0.001) in central-obesity males and lower than A (P < 0.001) in central-obesity females. There were differences in step counts in women, unnoticed in men. SDPAR overestimated total EE in gynoid-obesity males and in central-obesity females compared with A. Ninety-five percent CI was the largest around IPAQ compared with P and SDPAR, with SDPAR showing the best agreement with A.
Conclusions: Body mass and obesity type influenced PA measurements. To monitor PA, it is recommended to use pedometer in normal bodyweight and overweight groups while accelerometer is advisable in obese subjects. A combined approach of objective and subjective PA monitoring tools is preferable.