Methodological issues associated with longitudinal research: findings from the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health (1969 - 2004)     

Matton L  Beunen G  Duvigneaud N  Wijndaele K  Philippaerts R  Claessens A  Vanreusel B  Thomis M  Lefevre J 《Journal of sports sciences》2007,25(9):1011-1024

Longitudinal studies provide unique opportunities but are also faced with several limitations. The purpose of this study was to document three of these issues ("imperfect" design, evolution of data collection methods, representativeness) by means of the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health (LLSLFH). The LLSLFH (1969 - 2004) comprises observations on males between 12 and 18 years and at 30, 35, 40, and 47 years, and on females at 16 and 40 years. In the most recent phase of the study, spouses and offspring were also included. The different phases and evolving research questions throughout the LLSLFH required an appropriate adaptation of the research design. The associated evolution of data collection methods largely reflects the changing ideas about physical fitness, body composition, and physical activity, the continuing search for new and better measurement techniques, and the need for adaptations with age. Ongoing study participants are representative in terms of body composition and, except for adolescence in males, also physical activity. No straightforward answer can be given concerning physical fitness. In both sexes, socio-economic status is above average. When informed about the possible "pitfalls" of longitudinal research in advance, several measures could be taken to prevent or limit them as much as possible.  相似文献   

Reliability and validity of the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire in adults   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Matton L  Wijndaele K  Duvigneaud N  Duquet W  Philippaerts R  Thomis M  Lefevre J 《Research quarterly for exercise and sport》2007,78(4):293-306

The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire (FPACQ) in employed/unemployed and retired people. The FPACQ was developed to assess detailed information on several dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behavior over a usual week. A triaxial accelerometer, the RT3 Triaxial Research Tracker (RT3), in combination with a written 7-day activity record, was used as the objective criterion measure. In employed/unemployed people, 2-week test-retest reliability for several activity variables calculated from the FPACQ was good to excellent with intraclass correlations (ICCs) ranging from .67 to .99. In retired people ICCs were lower but, except for time spent eating, still fair to excellent, ranging from .57 to .96. Except for time spent in leisure time activities for men and the average energy expenditure related to sports participation in women, correlations between the RT3 and the FPACQ generally supported the relative validity of the FPACQ for employed/unemployed people (r ranging from .37 to .88). Values for retired people were somewhat lower (r ranging from .15 to .85), but most variables still reached at least moderate correlations. Concerning absolute validity, the FPACQ generally overestimated physical activity and underestimated sedentary behavior compared to the RT3. From this study, it can be concluded that the FPACQ is a reliable and reasonably valid questionnaire for assessing different dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behavior.  相似文献