RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a complex behavior that is difficult to measure validly and reliably in large, population-based studies. Data on physical activity are available for the initial 100,000 participants of the German National Cohort. OBJECTIVES: To describe the baseline physical activity assessment in the cohort and to present initial descriptive results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Physical activity was assessed using a combination of tools, including two self-administered questionnaires, the Questionnaire on Annual Physical Activity Pattern (QUAP) and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ); a computer-based 24h physical activity recall (cpar24); and 7day accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X/+; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA). RESULTS: The availability of data varied between assessment instruments (QUAP: nâ¯= 16,372; GPAQ: nâ¯= 90,900; cpar24: nâ¯= 23,989; accelerometry: nâ¯= 35,218). Analyses across measurement tools showed that on average, women spent 75 to 216â¯min/d, and men spent 73 to 224â¯min/d in moderate or higher intensity total physical activity. Persons aged 20-39 years spent 66 to 200â¯min/d, and persons aged 40-69 years spent 78 to 244â¯min/d in moderate or higher intensity total physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Initial baseline analyses of physical activity in this cohort show the value of using a combination of questionnaires, 24h recalls, and a movement sensor. The comprehensive data collection represents a valuable resource for future analyses and will improve our understanding of the association between physical activity and disease prevention.