Physical Activity Assessment in an Italian Adult Population using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire

Introduction: The international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) was developed as an instrument for cross-national monitoring of physical activity (PA) and inactivity. The aim of this study was to determine the PA level in a sample of Italian population. Methods: In total 957 adults (56% women) aged 19-65 years were randomly recruited. PA was assessed using the long form of the IPAQ (IPAQ-L). Lifestyle, body weight and height were obtained by questionnaire. Results: The total PA was 1610 MET-min/week: subjects were physically more active in the domestic and garden domain, contrary to transportation and leisure domain. Classifying the activities on the basis of the intensity, significant differences between sexes were detected for moderate and vigorous activities; moreover subjects aged 18-30 years had the lowest levels of PA, while subjects aged >50 had the highest levels. The 86% of the examined population spent at least 30 minutes of moderate PA on 5 days of the week, adhering to the international recommendations. Conclusions: Differences in PA between sexes and among age groups were observed. Strategies for increasing PA should be addressed especially to the young adults.