Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Validation of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire classification coding system using accelerometer assessment among breast cancer survivors

  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Survivorship Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this research was to provide convergent validity evidence for the use of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) to classify breast cancer survivors into active and insufficiently active categories.

Methods

Data were collected among a sample of breast cancer survivors (N = 199; mean age = 55 years) to examine the association between physical activity assessed with a GT3X triaxial accelerometer and the use of the GSLTPAQ’s coding system recently proposed by Godin (2011). Participants self-reported moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) performed in a typical week on the GSLTPAQ and those with MVPA leisure score index ≥24 were classified as active.

Results

ANCOVA revealed that the adjusted mean [95 % CI] number of recorded MVPA minutes was higher for respondents classified as active (145.54 [127.26; 163.83]) compared to respondents classified as insufficiently active (86.99 [74.04; 99.94]). The GSLTPAQ and accelerometer classified 33.8 and 27.2 % of participants as active, respectively (agreement = 70.8 %). Sensitivity and specificity values were 75.3 and 58.5 %, respectively.

Conclusion

The GSLTPAQ can be used to classify cancer survivors into active and insufficiently active categories in reference to cancer survivors’ physical activity guidelines. However, it has greater capacity to correctly identify insufficiently active respondents.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The use of the GSLTPAQ’s classification coding in oncology research could improve the quality of physical activity recommendations and interventions handed out to cancer survivors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. In this article, physical activity refers to “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure” (p.126; [1]). Leisure-time physical activity refers to any “[…] activity undertaken in the individual’s discretionary time that increases the total energy expenditure” (p. 12; [2]), whereas exercise is a planned purposeful activity specifically undertaken to promote fitness and health benefits [1], which is considered a subcategory of LTPA.

  2. A Cohen’s d = .80 is qualitatively equivalent to a Pearson correlation coefficient = .50[43].

References

  1. Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep. 1985;100:126–31.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bouchard C, Blair SN, Haskell WL, Why study physical activity and health?, in Physical Activity and Health, C Bouchard, SN Blair, WL Haskell (eds) 2007, Human Kinetics, Inc.: Champaign, IL, USA. p. 3-20.

  3. Schatzkin A, Subar AF, Moore S, Park Y, Potischman N, Thompson FE, et al. Observational epidemiologic studies of nutrition and cancer: the next generation (with better observation). Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18:1026–32.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Troiano RP, Pettee Gabriel KK, Welk GJ, Owen N, Sternfeld B. Reported physical activity and sedentary behavior: why do you ask? J Phys Act Health. 2012;9 Suppl 1:S68–75.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kriska AM, Caspersen CJ. Introduction to a collection of physical activity questionnaires. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;29:S5–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Matthews CE, Moore SC, George SM, Sampson J, Bowles HR. Improving self-reports of active and sedentary behaviors in large epidemiologic studies. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2012;40:118–26.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Godin G, Shephard RJ. A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Can J Appl Sport Sci. 1985;10:141–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Godin G. The Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Health Fit J Can. 2011;4:18–22.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Godin G, Shephard RJ. Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;26:S36–S8.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Su CC, Lee KD, Yeh CH, Kao CC, Lin CC. Measurement of physical activity in cancer survivors: a validity study. J Cancer Surviv. 2014;8:205–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu RD, Buffart LM, Kersten MJ, Spiering M, Brug J, van Mechelen W, et al. Psychometric properties of two physical activity questionnaires, the AQuAA and the PASE, in cancer patients. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2011;11:30.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Perna FM, Craft L, Freund KM, Skrinar G, Stone M, Kachnic L, et al. The effect of a cognitive behavioral exercise intervention on clinical depression in a multiethnic sample of women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2010;8:36–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Grossman P, Deuring G, Garland SN, Campbell TS, Carlson LE. Patterns of objective physical functioning and perception of mood and fatigue in posttreatment breast cancer patients and healthy controls: an ambulatory psychophysiological investigation. Psychosom Med. 2008;70:819–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Tillmann V, Darlington AS, Eiser C, Bishop NJ, Davies HA. Male sex and low physical activity are associated with reduced spine bone mineral density in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Bone Miner Res. 2002;17:1073–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Andrykowski MA, Beacham AO, Jacobsen PB. Prospective, longitudinal study of leisure-time exercise in women with early-stage breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16:430–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Bélanger LJ, Plotnikoff RC, Clark A, Courneya KS. Physical activity and health-related quality of life in young adult cancer survivors: a Canadian provincial survey. J Cancer Surviv. 2011;5:44–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Courneya KS, Segal RJ, Mackey JR, Gelmon K, Reid RD, Friedenreich CM, et al. Effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:4396–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Santa Mina D, Guglietti CL, Alibhai SM, Matthew AG, Kalnin R, Ahmad N, et al. The effect of meeting physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors on quality of life following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. J Cancer Surviv, 2013.

  19. Trinh L, Plotnikoff RC, Rhodes RE, North S, Courneya KS. Associations between physical activity and quality of life in a population-based sample of kidney cancer survivors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011;20:859–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM. Relationship between exercise pattern across the cancer experience and current quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors. J Altern Complem Med. 1997;3:215–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Grimmett C, Bridgewater J, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Lifestyle and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors. Qual Life Res. 2011;20:1237–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Maddocks M, Armstrong S, Wilcock A. Exercise as a supportive therapy in incurable cancer: exploring patient preferences. Psycho-Oncology. 2011;20:173–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Stephenson LE, Bebb DG, Reimer RA, Culos-Reed SN. Physical activity and diet behaviour in colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: associations with quality of life. BMC Gastroenterol, 2009;9.

  24. Rock CL, Doyle C, Demark-Wahnefried W, Meyerhardt J, Courneya KS, Schwartz AL, et al. Nutrition and physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62:243–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Schmitz KH, Courneya KS, Matthews C, Demark-Wahnefried W, Galvao DA, Pinto BM, et al. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable on exercise guidelines for cancer survivors. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42:1409–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ainsworth BE, Caspersen CJ, Matthews CE, Masse LC, Baranowski T, Zhu W. Recommendations to improve the accuracy of estimates of physical activity derived from self report. J Phys Act Health. 2012;9 Suppl 1:S76–84.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43:1334–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity and health: a report of the surgeon general. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Atlanta, GA;1996. p. 278.

  29. Shephard RJ. Limits to the measurement of habitual physical activity by questionnaires. Br J Sports Med. 2003;37:197–206.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Lamonte MJ, Ainsworth BE. Quantifying energy expenditure and physical activity in the context of dose response. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33:S370–S8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Greenland S. Dose-response and trend analysis in epidemiology: alternatives to categorical analysis. Epidemiol. 1995;6:356–65.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Miller DJ, Freedson PS, Kline GM. Comparison of activity levels using the Caltrac accelerometer and five questionnaires. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994;26:376–82.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Godin G, Jobin J, Bouillon J. Assessment of leisure time exercise behavior by self-report: a concurrent validity study. Can J Public Health. 1986;77:359–62.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Jacobs Jr DR, Ainsworth BE, Hartman TJ, Leon AS. A simultaneous evaluation of 10 commonly used physical activity questionnaires. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993;25:81–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Messick S. Validity of psychological assessment. Am Psychol. 1995;50:741–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Masse LC, de Niet JE. Sources of validity evidence needed with self-report measures of physical activity. J Phys Act Health. 2012;9 Suppl 1:S44–55.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Patterson P. Reliability, validity, and methodological response to the assessment of physical activity via self-report. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2000;71:S15–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Bassett Jr DR, John D. Use of pedometers and accelerometers in clinical populations: validity and reliability issues. Phys Ther Rev. 2010;15:135–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Broderick JM, Ryan J, O'Donnell DM, Hussey J. A guide to assessing physical activity using accelerometry in cancer patients. Support Care Cancer. 2014;22:1121–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Helmerhorst HJ, Brage S, Warren J, Besson H, Ekelund U. A systematic review of reliability and objective criterion-related validity of physical activity questionnaires. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9:103.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Prince SA, Adamo KB, Hamel ME, Hardt J, Gorber SC, Tremblay M. A comparison of direct versus self-report measures for assessing physical activity in adults: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008;5:56.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. van Poppel MN, Chinapaw MJ, Mokkink LB, van Mechelen W, Terwee CB. Physical activity questionnaires for adults: a systematic review of measurement properties. Sports Med. 2010;40:565–600.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Cohen J. A power primer. Psychol Bull. 1992;112:155–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Freedson PS, Melanson E, Sirard J. Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30:777–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Santos-Lozano A, Marin PJ, Torres-Luque G, Ruiz JR, Lucia A, Garatachea N. Technical variability of the GT3X accelerometer. Med Eng Phys. 2012;34:787–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Crouter SE, Churilla JR, Bassett Jr DR. Estimating energy expenditure using accelerometers. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2006;98:601–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Lyden K, Kozey SL, Staudenmeyer JW, Freedson PS. A comprehensive evaluation of commonly used accelerometer energy expenditure and MET prediction equations. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011;111:187–201.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Irwin ML, Ainsworth BE, Conway JM. Estimation of energy expenditure from physical activity measures: determinants of accuracy. Obes Res. 2001;9:517–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Ferrari P, Friedenreich C, Matthews CE. The role of measurement error in estimating levels of physical activity. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;166:832–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS. Using multivariate statistics. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc; 2007. 980.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Papers that report diagnostic or screening tests. BMJ. 1997;315:540–3.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Johnson-Kozlow M, Sallis JF, Gilpin EA, Rock CL, Pierce JP. Comparative validation of the IPAQ and the 7-Day PAR among women diagnosed with breast cancer. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2006;3:7.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Johnson-Kozlow M, Rock CL, Gilpin EA, Hollenbach KA, Pierce JP. Validation of the WHI brief physical activity questionnaire among women diagnosed with breast cancer. Am J Health Behav. 2007;31:193–202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Courneya KS, Jones LW, Rhodes RE, Blanchard CM. Effects of different combinations of intensity categories on self-reported exercise. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2004;75:429–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Hendelman D, Miller K, Baggett C, Debold E, Freedson P. Validity of accelerometry for the assessment of moderate intensity physical activity in the field. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32:S442–S9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics research program of the National Cancer Institute. Godin Exercise Leisure-time Questionnaire. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. http://dceg.cancer.gov/tools/design/questionnaires/physical-activity/godin-exercise-and-leisure-time. Accessed 30 October 2014.

  57. Motl RW, McAuley E, DiStefano C. Is social desirability associated with self-reported physical activity? Prev Med. 2005;40:735–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is funded by a Canadian Institute Health Research operating grant [grant number 186128] awarded to the last author. Jason Lacombe is supported by the Psychosocial Oncology Research Training program and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Master’s award.

Conflict of interest

The views expressed in the submitted article are those of the authors and not an official position of the institution or funder. Steve Amireault, Gaston Godin, Jason Lacombe, and Catherine M. Sabiston declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Steve Amireault, Jason Lacombe & Catherine M. Sabiston

  2. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Steve Amireault

  3. Faculty of Nursing, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada

    Gaston Godin

Authors
  1. Steve Amireault
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gaston Godin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jason Lacombe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Catherine M. Sabiston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steve Amireault.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Amireault, S., Godin, G., Lacombe, J. et al. Validation of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire classification coding system using accelerometer assessment among breast cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv 9, 532–540 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0430-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0430-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation