The validation of a self-report measure and physical activity of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous rural children

Purpose: To validate a self-report measure of physical activity for both Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous rural children, and to describe their physical activity participation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 84 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and 146 non-Indigenous children aged 10–12 years old completed the Many Rivers Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire (MRPARQ), a modified version of the Adolescent Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire (APARQ). A sub-group (n=86) wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days in order to validate the instrument. Results: Pearson and Intra Class Correlation coefficients between the survey and acceleromtery for weekdays only are 0.31 and 0.16, respectively, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and 0.38 and 0.31, respectively, for non-Indigenous children, and demonstrate a modest (p