Dr. Richard Larouche delivered an invited presentation about the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ) project at a webinar organized by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance. The recording is available at: https://www.activehealthykids.org/2024/07/05/improvement-of-the-global-matrix-methodology-webinar-watch-the-recording-here/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1HHgeD1iBFoMuczswZEwJDVdNj6bYtcP7AT2CnKFDlzG2qjHwmg5ryVqw_aem_MLwSHoAwF8TOLQRvIfQPSw
Dr. Saulo Neves presented the GAC-PAQ development process and preliminary results of content validation at the 53rd International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations Conference (Health, Healing and Civilizations) was held at the University of Lethbridge from May 21 through 24, 2024.
During that time, he discussed plans for the manuscript reporting the findings of the cognitive interviews with the Colombian principal investigator (Dr. Olga Lucia Sarmiento) and project coordinator (Judy Benavides). He also visited one of the schools that will participate in the study, the Universidad de los Andes, and several places in Bogotá.
Between May 8 and 10, Dr. Richard Larouche attended a meeting of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland as an invited expert. The meeting focused on physical activity measurement and surveillance in children and youth. He delivered a presentation about the GAC-PAQ project that was well received.
For more information, please visit: GAC-PAQ.com/1-2/
Dr. Richard Larouche and Dr. Mahdi Rostami presented the initial results of two following systematic reviews related to GAC-PAQ project at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology conference in Calgary on October 11-14, 2023.
1- Larouche R, Rostami Haji Abadi M, Sadia F. (2023). Inclusion or exclusion of children and youth with disabilities and chronic diseases from studies assessing measurement properties of physical activity questionnaires: a literature review. 2023 Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Conference. Calgary, AB.
2- Rostami Haji Abadi M, Kwaghbo N, Onyeso OK, Sadia F, Ochoa Montero H, Sarmiento OL. Augusto Santos Silva D, Hamřík Z, Liu Y, Tremblay MS, Larouche R. (2023). Psychometric properties of children and youth physical activity questionnaires: an updated systematic review. 2023 Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Conference. Calgary, AB.
The GAC-PAQ team met in person for the first time in Upsala, Sweden, on June 12th and 13th. In the meeting, we reviewed the GAC-PAQ project and administrative updates and issues led by Dr. Richard Larouche and Dr. Mark Tremblay. We also had a productive discussion of the results of content validation, progress and preliminary results of cognitive interviews, socio-demographic survey for the main study, including assessment of ethnicity as well as the adaptation of the survey in the app. We also have an accelerometer training session led by Dr. Dale Esliger in which we have the opportunity to learn about the accelerometer and discuss the protocol.
Physical activity is essential for healthy child development, yet 80% of youth are not active enough and we lack information about activity levels of young children. Current physical activity questionnaires were developed in high-income countries without considering the context of low-income countries. They tend to neglect some types of physical activity such as active play. Addressing these issues would make it easier to compare activity levels within and between countries. Such comparisons could help identify countries that are doing well in promoting some types of activity and help other countries develop interventions to increase physical activity.
We will develop an app-based questionnaire and determine its accuracy in measuring physical activity among 8- to 17-year-olds in 14 low-, middle-, and high-income countries from 6 continents. In addition, we will collect data on active play for the first time in many of these countries.
Our study will involve 8 stages. First, we are completing a review of the pros and cons of current questionnaires. Next, we will develop a first draft of the new questionnaire and ask experts and lay people in the 14 countries to review it (stages 2-4). Based on these initial results, we will develop a new version of the questionnaire and translate it into the main languages of each country (stages 5-6). Next, we will do a pilot-study with 30 children and one of their parents in each country. Finally, we will do the main study with 500 children and parents per country. We will recruit participants in urban and rural areas that differ in wealth. We will compare our questionnaire data to a precise movement sensor (“accelerometer”).
We expect that our new questionnaire will facilitate the measurement of physical activity globally. Our sample will be the largest and most diverse ever collected to assess the accuracy of such a questionnaire.
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, this project aims to develop an app-based questionnaire and determine its accuracy in measuring physical activity among 5- to 17-year-olds in 14 low-, middle-, and high-income countries from 6 continents. Participating countries include: Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Our second objective is to collect data on active play for the first time in many of these countries. By collecting comparable data across countries, our project will facilitate the cross-fertilization of ideas to address the global physical activity “pandemic”.
gac-paq.com 