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Related Experiment Videos

Effect of response scales on self-reported exercise frequency.

Kerry S Courneya1, Lee W Jones, Ryan E Rhodes

  • 1Faculty of Physical Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. kerry.courneya@ualberta.ca

American Journal of Health Behavior
|December 16, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Different numerical response scales significantly impact exercise behavior reporting. The study found varying percentages of regular exercisers based on scale type and frequency range.

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Area of Science:

  • Health Behavior Research
  • Survey Methodology
  • Exercise Science

Background:

  • Accurate measurement of physical activity is crucial for public health research.
  • The design of survey response scales can influence participant responses.
  • Understanding how different scales affect self-reported exercise is important for data interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of five distinct numerical response scales on the classification of regular exercisers.
  • To compare continuous-open, dichotomous (yes/no), and continuous-closed numerical (CCN) scales with varying response frequencies (low, medium, high).

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 500 undergraduate students.
  • Participants were assigned to one of five different numerical response scales.

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  • The proportion of participants classified as regular exercisers was determined for each scale.

    • Main Results:

    • The percentage of regular exercisers varied significantly across the tested scales.
    • Estimates ranged from 14% in the CCN low-frequency group to 45% in the CCN high-frequency group.
    • Statistical analysis indicated a significant effect of the response scale on exercise classification [chi2 (4, 500) = 28.90; P<.001].

    Conclusions:

    • The choice of numerical response scale demonstrably influences the estimation of regular exerciser prevalence.
    • Researchers must consider the potential for scale bias when assessing physical activity levels.
    • Further investigation into optimal response scale design for exercise behavior is warranted.