Validity of sitting time scores from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form in multiple sclerosis.
Robert W Motl, Jeffer E Sasaki, Katie L Cederberg and 1 others
PMID 31107044WHAT IT FOUND
The IPAQ-SF sitting question tracks device-measured sedentary time in multiple sclerosis.
Moderate correlations held across volume and pattern metrics, independent of physical activity levels. Use it to estimate sitting time in this population, but note the sample had mostly mild disability.
Key findings
01Self-reported sitting time from the IPAQ-SF showed moderate correlations with accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior metrics.
02The association between self-reported sitting and device-measured sedentary time remained significant when controlling for self-reported physical activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study only measured total sedentary behavior via accelerometer, not specific postures like sitting versus lying down, which may affect precision. The sample was mostly women, late middle-aged, Caucasian, and with relapsing-remitting MS, limiting generalizability to other MS populations. Participants were recruited from a research registry and may be more health-engaged than the general MS population. The sample had relatively low levels of disability, so validity might differ in those with severe impairment. Missing data was non-random, with those who had partial data showing higher disability scores than those with complete data.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the IPAQ-SF distinguishes between sitting and lying down. The accelerometer measured total sedentary time, not specific postures, so the questionnaire's validity here reflects general sedentary behavior rather than precise sitting posture.