Abstract

The main goal of the present study is to validate the “Four by One-Day Physical Activity Questionnaire” in a sample of 37 children (13.6? 1.13) years, by comparing self-reported average daily energy use in moderate and vigorous physical activities against the steps recorded by pedometers and with monitored minutes in different cardiac frequency limits. The findings in test-retest range from 0.84 to 0.93 (p<0.05). In the present study, the Four by One-Day Physical Activity Questionnaire was modestly but significantly (p=0.01) correlated with minutes above a threshold of 50% of heart rate reserve (r=0.578), with minutes above a threshold of 60% of maximum heart rate (r=0.596), with minutes above a threshold of 140 beat/min (r=0.625) and with average daily steps (r=0.672). The Spanish version of the “Four by One-Day Physical Activity Questionnaire” had similar reliability and validity to the original version. The results obtained show that this questionnaire can be a valid and reliable means of finding out the PA levels of Spanish adolescents.