Background

Depression earlier in life is a risk factor for dementia later in life. Physical activity is associated with less risk of depression and dementia. However, prevention of Alzheimer's disease may be most effective before the onset of brain pathology, which precedes dementia symptoms by 20 + years, requiring the measure of physical activity across the life course.

Objective

Assess the reliability and validity of the Lifetime Total Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPAQ) in community-dwelling cognitively intact adults with and without a history of depression.

Methods

Test-retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlations (ICC). Evidence of construct validity was assessed with descriptive statistics using the contrasted group approach and a priori hypotheses testing with each intensity (sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous) within each domain (school/occupation, transportation, household, leisure-time) across the life course (school-age, adolescence, young adult, middle adult).

Results

Evidence of test-retest reliability and construct validity was found during school-age and adolescence for moderate school/occupation (ICC = 0.562, p = 0.006; ICC = 0.605, p = 0.003, respectively) and household (ICC = 0.945, p < 0.001; ICC = 0.829, p < 0.001, respectively); during young adulthood for moderate school/occupation (ICC = 0.844, p < 0.001), transportation (ICC = 0.747, p < 0.001), and household (ICC = 0.608, p = 0.002); and during middle adulthood for moderate transportation (ICC = 0.977, p < 0.001). At both time points, there were zero reported school-age vigorous school/occupation and household; adolescent vigorous transportation; young adult vigorous household; and middle adult vigorous transportation and household physical activity.

Conclusions

The LTPAQ may be used to examine physical activity across the life course and risk for Alzheimer's disease in community-dwelling cognitively intact adults with and without a history of depression.