The concurrent validity of the 3-day Physical Activity Recall questionnaire administered to female adolescents aged 12–14 years

Aim:  This pilot study was conducted as part of an honours project and aimed to provide evidence of validity for the 3-day Physical Activity Recall (3dPAR) questionnaire in a sample of female adolescents aged 12–14 years ( N  = 20) for use by occupational therapists to assess adolescents' physical activity.
Methods:  Participants wore a Computer Science and Applications 7164 accelerometer for seven consecutive days and completed the 3dPAR questionnaire after the recording period.
Results:  A significant correlation was found between self-reported total metabolic equivalents and accelerometer total counts for 3 days ( r =  0.630, P  < 0.01) and self-reported vigorous physical activity and accelerometer minutes of vigorous physical activity for the 7 days ( r =  0.568, P  < 0.01) and corresponding 3 days ( r =  0.493, P  < 0.05) of monitoring.
Conclusions:  A validity coefficient has been established for the 3dPAR questionnaire when measuring total and vigorous physical activity in females aged 12–14 years over a 3-day period. It is anticipated that this study will assist in familiarising the occupational therapy field with the 3dPAR questionnaire as a potential self-report tool to assess and explore the complexity of adolescents' physical activity.