Abstract

Background: Physical inactivity in young people which increases with age have been linked to increased risks of non-communicable diseases. Therefore, assessment and monitoring of physical activity (PA) in young populations is needed. However, a valid and feasible self-report measure for large-scale PA for Thai children and adolescents is limited. Objectives: To determine the content validity and psychometric characteristics of the Thai translated version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) and Adolescents (PAQ-A). Materials and methods: The 10-item of PAQ-C and 9-item of PAQ-A were translated into a Thai version and the cross-cultural adaptations were included. These questionnaires were conducted with children aged 8-<14 years and adolescents aged 14-<20 years that were recruited from one large private and two public schools in Amphur Muang, Chiang Mai Province. Each group of children and adolescents was classified by age, gender, and school type, equally. After that, the content validity was assessed using a content validity index. Furthermore, psychometric characteristics, including the scale’s internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and agreement of measurements were also determined. Results: Both PAQs had an excellent content validity index for scale (S-CVI was 0.91 for PAQ-C and 0.96 for PAQ-A) with an acceptable content validity index for item (I-CVI) ranging from 0.83-1.00. The internal consistency and the reproducibility of measurements of the PAQs were acceptable (α = 0.71, ICC = 0.67 for PAQ-C and α=0.84, ICC=0.78 for PAQ-A; P<0.001). The standard error of measurement (SEM) between the two trials for administration of both PAQs were smaller than the smallest detectable change (SDC) (SEM=0.36, SDC=0.99 for PAQ-C; SEM=0.35, SDC=0.96 for PAQ-A). Conclusion: Having an excellent content validity and acceptable psychometric properties, both PAQ-C and PAQ-A have the potential to be applied for research purposes and surveillance of PA in Thai children and adolescents.