Validity of the physical activity readiness questionnaire (par-q) in elder subjects

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the validity - sensitivity (SE), specifi city (SP), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the PAR-Q in older adults. The sample cosisted of 104 subjects were evaluated, 98 women and 6 men (73 ± 6 years-old [mean±sd]), with a large rank of formal education. The responses were compared to physicians’ examinations by a chi-square test (p<.05). The specific influence of the age and level of formal education were analyzed by logistic regression for a 95% confi dence interval (95% CI). The SE (the number of subjects for whom the questionnaire was true-positive divided by the number of subjects that had an adverse characteristic in the examination) was 89%, the SP (the true-negative questionnaires divided by the number of subjects with no adverse characteristic in the examination) was 42%, the PPV (the ratio of positive tests correctly diagnosed) and the NPV (the ratio of negative tests correctly diagnosed) were 78% and 62%, respectively. The logistic regression showed no infl uence of age and educational status on questionnaire’s responses. Albeit the high value of SE, the lowest SP and NPV values suggest that the PAR-Q would not be an accurate tool to detect older people with potential contraindications to exercise engagement. New studies about the applicability of the PAR-Q in specific populations are necessary.