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Measuring Physical Activity Change in Broad-Reach Intervention Trials.
Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|September 6, 2017
Summary
Brief physical activity questionnaires, like the US National Health Interview Survey (USNHIS) and Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ), show good responsiveness to change. These shorter measures are effective in broad trials without sacrificing data quality compared to longer questionnaires.
Area of Science:
- Physical activity measurement
- Health behavior research
- Public health interventions
Background:
- Assessing physical activity changes is crucial for evaluating health interventions.
- Self-report measures are commonly used but vary in length and detail.
- Comparing the responsiveness of different measures is essential for optimizing data collection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the responsiveness to change of three self-report physical activity measures.
- To evaluate which measures are most sensitive to changes following an intervention.
- To inform the selection of appropriate physical activity assessment tools in research.
Main Methods:
- A cluster-randomized trial involving primary care patients (n=381).
- Physical activity assessed at baseline and 4 months using CHAMPS, Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ), and US National Health Interview Survey (USNHIS) items.
- Responsiveness calculated for frequency and duration of walking and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Main Results:
- USNHIS and AAQ demonstrated strong responsiveness for walking frequency.
- USNHIS and CHAMPS showed good responsiveness for walking duration.
- AAQ was slightly more responsive for moderate-to-vigorous activity frequency, while CHAMPS was for duration.
Conclusions:
- Brief self-report measures (USNHIS, AAQ) are effective in broad trials.
- These measures offer comparability to population estimates and reduce respondent burden.
- Shorter questionnaires can be used without compromising responsiveness to change compared to more detailed options.