Self-reported physical fitness was assessed throughout IFIS, which is a self-report scale, validated for the Brazilian population, composed of five questions of the "Likert" scale, ranging from 1 (very bad) to 5 (very good). IFIS questions the individual about the perception he/she has about his/her general physical fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, speed-agility, and flexibility, and the person should classify these components as "very bad", "bad", "or medium", "good" and "very good". The higher the score, the higher the self-reported physical fitness 9,10.
The IFIS is a validated instrument that has been translated into nine different languages, including Portuguese. Furthermore, the IFIS questionnaire is a good alternative to assess physical fitness in young adults and older adults24,25. This population is capable of comprehending the terminology and stating their perceptions accurately and clearly regarding overall physical fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, speed-agility, and flexibility. The subjective perception of general physical fitness and fitness objectively measured by a battery of physical tests indicated a high degree of agreement 24.
Survey respondent characteristics
Demographic data were obtained: name (open question asking them to type name and surnames), age (open question), sex (possible answers: male or female), current mass (open answer requesting the answer in kilograms), current height (open answer asking for the answer in meters), city and state in which you currently live (open question), level of education (possible answers: complete or incomplete elementary, complete or incomplete middle, complete or incomplete higher education), whether you smoke (possible answers: yes or no), if a doctor had already said you have diabetes (possible answers: yes or no), if currently work (possible answers: yes or no) and income [possible answers: less than 1 minimum wage, 1 minimum wage, from 1 to 2 minimum wages (1,088 real to 2,176 real), from 2 to 3 (2,176 real to 3,264 real), from 3 to 4 of (3,264 real to 4,352 real) or from 4 to 5 or more (4,352 real to 5,440 or more)].
For the group of patients treated with maintenance dialysis, we also questioned the weekly frequency with which they underwent hemodialysis (possible responses: 2,3,4,5,6 or 7 times a week) and how long they had been undergoing treatment (possible answers: less than 3 months, less than 1 year, between 1 and 2 years, between 2 and 3 years, between 3 and 4 years or between 4 and 5 years or more). In the control group questionnaire, there was also the following question: "Have any doctors ever told you that you have chronic kidney disease?" (Possible answers: yes or no).
To assess the level of physical activity, the participants were asked the following questions: "Do you currently practice physical activities?" (Possible answers: yes or no); "Currently what kind of physical exercise do you perform?" [Possible answers: I don't perform physical exercise; walking; bodybuilding; functional exercises (jumping, squatting, spinning, running, pushing, pulling)]; "Currently how many times a week do you perform physical activity?" (Possible answers: none to seven times); "How long is each physical activity session?" (Possible answers: I do not practice physical activity; less than 30 min; between 30 and 60 min or more than 60 min) and "What is the intensity of this physical activity?" [Possible answers: I don't practice physical activity; light (considering the following examples given: bathing, shaving, driving, washing dishes, making the bed); moderate (considering the following examples given: gardening, playing volleyball, water aerobics, pedaling, fast walking); intense/vigorous (considering the following examples given: climbing stairs, swimming, jumping rope, playing football, running).
Based on the answers, the time spent during each physical activity session during the study was multiplied by the number of days of the week in which the participant exercised.
The sedentary behavior was also evaluated through the following question: "On average how many HOURS do you spend sitting or lying down in a day? Don't consider the hours you spend sleeping" (open question).