Cultural Adaptation of the Activities in the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire for Argentine Adults Adaptación cultural de las actividades del Cuestionario de Ejercicio Físico en el Tiempo Libre para adultos argentinos

Abstract

The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) is a brief, self-administered measure designed to estimate weekly exercise frequency across different intensity levels. Given the absence of an adapted Spanish version, this study aimed to linguistically and conceptually adapt the GLTEQ for Argentine adults. Method: The cultural adaptation process involved back-translation of the questionnaire, adjustment of exercise examples according to their cultural relevance, and determination of metabolic equivalents (METs) to classify activities by intensity level. The identification of relevant activities was based on the National Survey on Physical Activity and Sports, and intensity classification was performed using the Compendium of Physical Activities. Additionally, four judges assessed the clarity, relevance, and congruence of the activity examples. Results: Eight exercises with high local prevalence were incorporated, and eleven activities from the original version were excluded. Some exercises showed discrepancies between the assigned MET values and the judges’ ratings, which led to their reclassification into different intensity levels. The final set comprised 26 activities organized into three intensity levels, providing evidence of content validity. Conclusion: The proposed adaptation represents a rigorous process that is distinctive compared to other international versions. The adaptation of the GLTEQ constitutes a culturally appropriate instrument for self-reported assessment of physical exercise in the Argentine adult population.