Table 1

Summary details of short and single-item physical activity measures

Reference	Summary details of item(s)	Test–retest reliability	Criterion or convergent validity
Eaton et al4	“In the past month, how often on the average do you do continuous vigorous exercise for 20 min or more? (This includes activities such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, or aerobic exercise.) Would you say it was <once a week, 1 or 2 times a week, 3 or more times a week, or not at all?”	−	Maximal oxygen consumption r=0.13–0.19
			Blood pressure, BMI and HDL cholesterol r=0.09–0.14
Iwai et al15	Three questions assess:
	Average weekly time spent engaging in sports or physical exercise Average time per day spent walking indoors or outside Frequency of engagement in sports or physical exercise. Recall time frame is “over the past year or two”	kappa=0.25–0.56	Interview data r=0.43–0.60
Jackson et al5	PA5 scale
	Single-response option chosen from five descriptors of physical activity level based on the stages of change model.18 Responses are based on usual behaviour and the length of time that respondents have maintained their current level of physical activity behaviour	r=0.81	Fitness test r=0.57
	PA8 scale
	Single-response option chosen from eight descriptors of physical activity level based on the stages of change model.18 Responses are based on usual behaviour and the length of time that respondents have maintained their current level of physical activity behaviour	r=0.84	Fitness test r=0.53
Kohl et al6	“How many times a week do you engage in vigorous physical activity long enough to work up a sweat?”	−	Maximal treadmill test r=0.51
Li et al7	Single-response rating of usual physical activity level using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from highly active to inactive. Descriptions of highly active, relatively active and inactive are provided. Responses are based on “usual physical activity”	r=0.88	Physical Activity Questionnaire r=0.66
Macera et al8	“In the past month, other than your regular job, did you do any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”	−	More detailed set of questions 5% of patients were misclassified (as sedentary) using the single-question
Marshall et al16^*	Two questions
	A frequency and duration of vigorous intensity physical activity Frequency and duration of moderate intensity physical activities (including walking). Time frame for both is “usual week”	−	CSA monitor kappa=0.14–0.40
Rose et al17	“As a rule, do you do at least half an hour of moderate or vigorous exercise (such as walking or a sport) on five or more days of the week?”	−	NZPAQ-LF kappa=0.56
Schechtman et al9	“Do you currently participate in any regular activity or programme (either on your own or in a formal class) designed to improve or maintain your physical fitness?”	−	Significantly associated with BMI and oxygen capacity and with HDL cholesterol in women
Siconolfi et al10^†	“At least once a week, do you engage in any regular activity similar to brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, etc, long enough to work up a sweat?” Then, if the answer is yes,	−	Energy expenditure measured by the Paffenbarger physical activity index questionnaire r=0.57
	“How many times per week?”		Maximal oxygen uptake r=0.46
Smith et al14^*	Two question assessment
	Frequency and duration of vigorous intensity physical activity Frequency and duration of moderate intensity physical activity or walking. Time frame for both is “usual week”	r=0.61 kappa=58.0	Active Australia questionnaire r=0.54, kappa=46.7
			CSA accelerometer r=0.39, kappa=18.2
	Three question assessment
	Frequency and duration of vigorous intensity physical activity Frequency and duration of moderate intensity physical activity Frequency and duration of walking. Time frame is “usual week”	r=0.63 kappa=55.6	Active Australia questionnaire r=0.43, kappa=38.7
			CSA accelerometer r=0.31, kappa=24.3
Sternfeld et al11	Single question asking women to rate their level of physical activity as “much less”, “less”, “the same as”, “more” or “much more” than other women their age	−	Significantly associated with BMI and self-reported health
Washburn et al12^†	“At least once a week, do you engage in any regular activity long enough to work up a sweat (eg, brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, construction work, etc)? If yes, how many hours per week do you engage in these activities?”	−	Energy expenditure measured by the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Index Questionnaire r=0.39
Weiss et al13	Four questions designed to capture how much hard physical work is required in respondents job or usual daily activity and whether respondents are “more” or “less active” than their peers. Responses are based on “usual physical activity”	−	Energy expenditure calculated from a more detailed set of questions r=0.14–0.41

↵* Studies involved testing of the same physical activity tool.
↵† Studies involved testing very similar physical activity tools using different response scale. BMI, body mass index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; CSA, Computer Science Applications; NZPAQ-LF, New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form.