Evaluation of the 7-day physical activity recall in urban and rural men

Purpose: To assess reliability and validity of the 7-d physical activity recall (PAR) in 60- to 80-yr-old men from urban and rural homes in the southeastern United States. Methods: Two hundred twenty 60- to 80-yr-old men (29% minority ethnicity) from Veterans Affairs primary care clinics completed two PAR interviews at 2- to 4-wk intervals. The PAR included modifications to elicit and score light-moderate (2-3 METs) as well as moderate (3-6 METs) and hard (greater than or equal to7 METs) physical activity. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlations from the two interviews. Validity was assessed using Spearman correlations of PAR variables with 6-min walk performance, and with treadmill performance and accelerometer activity counts from subsamples, as well as measures of gait, balance, activities of daily living, and perceived quality of life. Results were examined separately for urban and rural participants. Results: Reliability coefficients were acceptable and PAR measures of estimated energy expenditure, and time spent in hard, moderate, and light-moderate activity correlated as hypothesized with the fitness and health measures. Conclusion: Reliability and validity coefficients were generally similar to those found in studies of the PAR with younger samples and with instruments designed specifically for use with elders. The PAR is a useful and flexible instrument for assessing physical activity of varying intensity in older men living in both urban and rural home settings.