Abstract

The promotion of physical activity aimed at health is a question of some interest in our society. The study attempts to define the type, frequency, duration and intensity most appropriate so that the physical activity practised brings about a betterment in the factors of the physical condition in respect to health. Before anything is done with the idea of promoting health an initial evaluation of the practice level that a population presents, is necessary. In this context the idea of validating a questionnaire that would serve as a useful instrument for the evaluation, come up. Using a group of subjects of 10 years of age the reliability of the questionnaire previous designed was tested. We applied the test re test method obtaining an intraclass coefficient correlation of 0.98. Afterwards, using a group if 34 subjects the heart beat frequency during a normal school days was measured with a monitor (Polar PE4000). The day after the same subjects completed the questionnaire. We determined the simple coefficient correlation obtaining a figure of 0.78 (p<0.001). In spite of the limitations involved in applying questionnaires to 10-year-old children, this instrument offers a good approach for measuring the usual level of physical activity. However, more research that examines, from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, the design of physical activity questionnaires for children.