Measuring the Environment for Friendliness Toward Physical Activity: a Comparison of the Reliability of 3 Questionnaires

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2004 Mar 5

PMID 14998817

Citations 104

Authors

Ross C Brownson

Jen Jen Chang

Amy A Eyler

Barbara E Ainsworth

Karen A Kirtland

Brian E Saelens

James F Sallis

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We tested the reliability of 3 instruments that assessed social and physical environments.

Methods: We conducted a test-retest study among US adults (n = 289). We used telephone survey methods to measure suitableness of the perceived (vs objective) environment for recreational physical activity and nonmotorized transportation.

Results: Most questions in our surveys that attempted to measure specific characteristics of the built environment showed moderate to high reliability. Questions about the social environment showed lower reliability than those that assessed the physical environment. Certain blocks of questions appeared to be selectively more reliable for urban or rural respondents.

Conclusions: Despite differences in content and in response formats, all 3 surveys showed evidence of reliability, and most items are now ready for use in research and in public health surveillance.

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