Cut‐point values for classifying active children and validity and reliability of physical activity questionnaire for children in Morocco

Abstract Background The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ‐C) is widely used to assess physical activity in populations; however, there is a lack of information about the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) and about the PAQ‐C score meaning in populations from low‐middle income countries. Aims The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of PAQ‐C and to determine the cut‐point values of PAQ‐C using accelerometry as a reference in a group of Moroccan children. Methods In a sample of 171 children and adolescents aged 8 to 14 years, physical activity was assessed with the GT3X + accelerometer and the PAQ‐C. PAQ‐C was administered for a second time (retest) after 1 week for a subsample ( n = 73). Reliability was analyzed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The PAQ‐C was compared against count per minute CPM and moderate to vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) obtained by accelerometry. Receiver operating curve analyses were performed to assess the performance of PAQ‐C in identifying MVPA as measured by accelerometry (reference method). Results Test–retest reliability was poor with an ICC = (0.48 [0.27; 0.63] for the whole sample, while for the ≥11 year group, the intra‐class correlation coefficient was moderate (0.71 [0.42; 0.86]. PAQ‐C scores were significantly related to accelerometry‐derived metrics of physical activity, CPM ( R = 0. 29 , P < 0.001) and MVPA ( R = 0.26, P < 0.001). For the age group ≥11 years, the associations between PAQ‐C Scores and CPM and MVPA were stronger, respectively, R = 0.37 ( P < 0.001), R = 0.38 ( P < 0.0001). We identified that a PAQ‐C Score cut‐point of 2.33 (95%CI [0.43–0.68]) discriminated adequately between those who met physical activity guidelines and those that did not in the overall sample. Conclusions The PAQ‐C is valid and useful to assess population level physical activity in those ≥11 years in Morocco and so might be helpful in population surveillance of physical activity in Moroccan adolescents.