Key result
The ACSM/AHA preexercise screening questionnaire demonstrated low diagnostic capacity (AUC = 0.51), with 88.2% sensitivity and 13.5% specificity for identifying exercise suitability.
Why the study?
Preexercise screening questionnaires aim to prevent cardiovascular events, but the diagnostic validity of the ACSM/AHA questionnaire required evaluation.
Does the ACSM/AHA preexercise screening questionnaire accurately identify individuals suitable for inclusion in an exercise program?
Cross-Sectional (n=69)
Does the ACSM/AHA preexercise screening questionnaire accurately identify individuals suitable for inclusion in an exercise program?
Effect estimate: AUC 0.51
The ACSM/AHA preexercise screening questionnaire has high sensitivity but very low specificity, limiting its utility in identifying individuals suitable for exercise programs without contraindications.
Low specificity of ACSM/AHA screening warrants clinical caution; leaves open validation of improved preexercise tools.
The prevention of cardiovascular events is one of the main objectives of a preexercise screening questionnaire. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of ACSM/AHA questionnaire (AAPQ), through the Sensitivity (Se), Specificity (Sp) and AUC (area under the curve). The study included 69 subjects (40-81 years). Comparisons between sex and age categories were performed. There was no significant difference. However, the variation in positive responses seemed to increase in percentage terms, especially after 60 years (from 78.6% to 100%). The AAPQ Se values were high (88.2%) suggesting that the majority of individuals in whom the instrument was positive showed some contraindication. However, the Sp value was only 13.5%, indicating that the questionnaire was not able to identify those with no contra indication to start an exercise program. Thus, the instrument would have a low diagnostic capacity (AUC = 0.51). The results suggest that the questionnaire presents a low capacity to identify individuals suitable for inclusion in an exercise program.
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Neto et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Preexercise screening (n=69). ACSM/AHA questionnaire (AAPQ) was evaluated on Diagnostic validity (Sensitivity, Specificity, and AUC) (AUC 0.51). The ACSM/AHA preexercise screening questionnaire demonstrated low diagnostic capacity (AUC = 0.51), with 88.2% sensitivity and 13.5% specificity for identifying exercise suitability.
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