Developing a Telephone Assessment of Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Mayer Charles J MD, MPH, Steinman Lesley MPH, MSW, Williams Barbara PhD, LoGerfo James MD, MPH, Topolski Tari D PhD
Primary Institution: University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center
Hypothesis
If TAPA and RAPA compare equally well with the CHAMPS instrument, then they can be used interchangeably.
Conclusion
The pilot test demonstrated that the TAPA questionnaire is a promising instrument for use as a brief, telephone-based questionnaire for assessing physical activity in older adults.
Supporting Evidence
- The TAPA questionnaire was developed based on the existing RAPA questionnaire.
- A Spearman rho of 0.74 indicated a strong correlation between TAPA and RAPA.
- The study included a diverse sample of older adults recruited from various community settings.
Takeaway
Researchers created a new phone survey to help older people report their physical activity, and it seems to work well.
Methodology
The study involved adapting the RAPA questionnaire for telephone use and testing it with older adults in a community setting.
Potential Biases
The study design did not allow for testing the effect of question order on results.
Limitations
The sample size was small and may not represent the broader population of older adults, and TAPA was not validated against a physical measurement.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 63 to 92 years, mostly female (62%), and included diverse minority groups.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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