The vagaries of self-reports of physical activity: A problem revisited and addressed in a study of exercise promotion in the over 65s in general practice

Abstract

Background. The assessment of levels of physical activity relies upon suitable measurement tools. Objective. We aimed to investigate whether a practice nurse, using a motivational interview technique, could encourage older patients to increase their physical activity. Methods. Health and well-being were monitored at baseline and 8 weeks following intervention. Physical activity levels were ascertained using both a self-report measure and ambulatory heart-rate monitoring. Results. Whilst patients reported higher levels of physical activity at follow-up, this finding was not confirmed by the heart-rate data. Conclusion. The study concludes that patients tend to overestimate the amount of physical activity undertaken and that ambulatory heart-rate monitoring may be more useful for verifying actual behaviour.