CORRELATION BETWEEN IPAQ AND VO2MAX AMONG OBESE WOMEN

Physical activity is widely recommended for obese and overweight individuals, due to their higher cardiovascular risk. Thus, the  short form of  the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) has been used as a good tools for evaluating and monitoring physical activity in adults. Moreover, the determination of maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) has been described as one of the best methods for evaluation of physical capacity. Objective: To investigate the correlation between level of physical activity measured by IPAQ short form and VO 2max in women with overweight or obesity, and the association between body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with the two methods. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 48 women, aged 45.27 ± 11.56 years, 35 (72.9%) obese, answered to the IPAQ short version and underwent exercise testing to determine the maximal oxygen uptake. Results: The IPAQ continuous score was not correlated with VO 2max , nor with BMI or WC. On the other hand, it was demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between VO 2max and BMI (r = -0.50, p <0.01) and WC (r = -0.65, p <0.01). Conclusions: The IPAQ proved to be an inadequate instrument for assessing the physical performance of overweight or obese women. In contrast, the VO 2max showed a significant inverse correlation with BMI and waist circumference, reinforcing the central role of obesity as a limiting factor for aerobic performance.