• Component Description
• Eligible Sample
• Interview Setting and Mode of Administration
• Data Processing and Editing
• Analytic Notes
• References
• Codebook
  • SEQN - Respondent sequence number
  • PAD020 - Walked or bicycled over past 30 days
  • PAQ050Q - # times walked or bicycled
  • PAQ050U - Unit of measure (day/week/month)
  • PAD080 - How long per day (minutes)
  • PAQ100 - Tasks around home/yard past 30 days
  • PAD120 - # of times past 30 days
  • PAD160 - How long each time (minutes)
  • PAQ180 - Avg level of physical activity each day
  • PAD200 - Vigorous activity over past 30 days
  • PAD320 - Moderate activity over past 30 days
  • PAD440 - Muscle strengthening activities
  • PAD460 - Number of times past 30 days
  • PAQ500 - Activity comparison last mo - last yr
  • PAQ520 - Compare activity w/others same age
  • PAQ540 - Compare activity with 10 years ago
  • PAQ560 - # time/week you play or exercise hard
  • PAD590 - # hours watch TV or videos past 30 days
  • PAD600 - # of hours use computer past 30 days
  • PAAQUEX - Questionnaire source flag for weighting
• Appendix 1. Suggested MET Scores

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

2003-2004 Data Documentation, Codebook, and Frequencies

Physical Activity (PAQ_C)

Data File: PAQ_C.xpt

First Published: November 2005

Last Revised: NA

Component Description

The PAQ section includes an extensive array of questions related to daily activities, leisure time activities, and sedentary activities at home. Some of the PAQ questions administered during NHANES 2001–2001 were used in previous NHANES questionnaires or were asked in other federal surveys.

Eligible Sample

All survey participants 2 or more years of age were eligible. Proxy respondents answered the questions for 2–11 year olds. The questions asked varied by age group. The target group in the codebook indicates which age groups were asked which questions.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

For respondents 2–11 and 16 or more years of age, the questions were asked in the household interview. For respondents 12–15 years of age, the questions were asked as part of the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) interview.

Data Processing and Editing

The data was split into two files. The first is described here and includes general information about daily activities, leisure time activities, and sedentary activities. The second (PAQIAF_C) includes more detailed information about specific leisure time activities for respondents 12 or more years of age. Sequence number is provided on both files for linking.

Respondents who answered yes to vigorous activities (PAQ200), but did not give at least one vigorous activity or reported a duration of less than 10 minutes, were recoded to no. The same was done for moderate activities (PAQ340).

The number of times in the past 30 days that the respondent did moderately active tasks around the house or yard (PAD120) and muscle strengthening activities (PAD460) were originally reported as number of times per day, per week, or per month and converted to number of times over the past 30 days. The average duration of the tasks around the house or yard (PAD160) was originally reported in hours or minutes and converted to minutes. There were a few instances in which the duration per day of tasks around the home or yard was 12 hours or more for the 30-day period. In these instances, PAD120 and PAD160 were set to missing. Users should carefully inspect the data for other values they may consider too high.

Analytic Notes

Because the PAQ questions for respondents 2–11 and 16 or more years of age were asked in the home interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data is joined with data from the MEC, the MEC sample weights should be used. Analysis of the PAQ questions for 12–15 year olds should use the MEC sample weights as the questions were asked in the MEC.

Suggested metabolic equivalent (MET) scores for the activities listed in this file are included in Appendix 1. They were obtained from the reference below and personal communication with the author.
Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues at https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/analyticguidelines.aspx

The PAQ data are publicly available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.

References

• Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC, et al. Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 32(9):S498–S516, 2000.

Codebook and Frequencies