Aim The Clinical Use Physical Activity Questionnaire for Pregnancy (CPAQpreg) is proposed as a rapid, simple and accurate method to identify pregnant women whose levels of physical activity fail to meet those recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).¹

Methods A pilot validation of CPAQpreg was performed at Leeds General Infirmary, UK. Each participant completed CPAQpreg and the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ). PPAQ has previously been validated for use in pregnancy but is both time consuming and difficult to interpret.² Total amounts of physical activity (MET minutes/week⁻¹) were calculated for each questionnaire and subdivided by intensity; moderate, vigorous and combined (moderate+vigorous). Each participant was classified as active or inactive in accordance with RCOG physical activity guidance.

Results A total of 191 participants completed the minimum data set (86.8% response rate). The prevalence of inactivity was 29.8%. CPAQpreg showed excellent levels of agreement with PPAQ in the identification of inactive individuals (Cohen's Kappa=0.758, p<0.001) with a high sensitivity (96.5%, 95%CI 86.8–99.4) and high specificity (85.8%, 95% CI 78.5–91.0) Correlation between questionnaires for combined (moderate+vigorous) intensity physical activity was good (Spearman's correlation coefficient =0.072 p<0.01) but wide levels of agreement (−9772 to 5104 MET minutes/week⁻¹) and a negative bias (−2335 MET minutes/week⁻¹) were shown on Bland Altman plots.

Conclusions The CPAQpreg showed excellent levels of agreement with the PPAQ in the identification of inactive pregnant women. Further studies comparing the CPAQpreg with an objective measure would further enhance its validity and support the recommendation that the CPAQpreg is used at every contact between pregnant women and healthcare providers to identify inactive individuals quickly and accurately.