Abstract
Citation
Troped PJ, Cromley EK, Fragala MS, Melly SJ, Hasbrouck HH, Gortmaker SL, Brownson RC. Development and reliability and validity testing of an audit tool for trail/path characteristics: the path environment audit tool (PEAT). J Phys Act Health 2006;3(Suppl 1):S158-S175.
Abstract source: journals.humankinetics.com
Background: To determine how trail characteristics may influence use, reliable and valid audit tools are needed. Methods: The Path Environment Audit Tool (PEAT) was developed with design, amenity, and aesthetics/maintenance items. Two observers independently audited 185 trail segments at 6 Massachusetts facilities. GPS-derived items were used as a “gold standard.” Kappa (k) statistics, observed agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess inter-observer reliability and validity. Results: Fifteen of 16 primary amenity items had k-values = 0.49 (“moderate”) and all had observed agreement = 81%. Seven binary design items had k-values ranging from 0.19 to 0.71 and three of 5 ordinal items had ICCs = 0.52. Only two aesthetics/maintenance items (n = 7) had moderate ICCs. Observed agreement between PEAT and GPS items was = 0.77; k-values were = 0.57 for 7 out of 10 comparisons. Conclusions: PEAT has acceptable reliability for most of its primary items and appears ready for use by researchers and practitioners.
Full Text
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At A Glance
Physical Activity Environment Variables
| # | Type of Environment/Location |
|---|---|
| 6 | Total Environments/Locations |
| 4 | Parks/Playgrounds |
| 2 | Recreational Facility/Area |
| # | Scale |
|---|---|
| 185 | Trail/path/corridor |
| 45 | Intersecting roads |
| Measure | objective | perceived |
|---|---|---|
| Facility Adequacy/Appeal or Quality | ✔ | ✘ |
| Aesthetics/Beautification | ✔ | ✘ |
| Pedestrian Infrastructure | ✔ | ✘ |
Domain(s)
Physical Activity Environment
Measure Type
Environmental observation
Measure Availability
Free. Access at Active Living Research
Download measure from activelivingresearch.org
Number of Items
40 Reported
Study location
Metro/Urban, Small Town/Rural
MA, USA
Boston, Needham, Cambridge, Arlington, Bedford (MA), USA
Languages
English
Information about Development of Measure
Prior to full testing, inter-rater reliability was tested on 43 trail and road segments and items or instructions modified
Study Design
Study Participants
Age
Not applicable
Sex
Not applicable
Race/Ethnicity
Not reported
Predominantly Low-income/Low-SES
No
Sample Size
Not Available
Study Design
Design Type
Validation/Reliability
Health Outcomes Assessed
None
Obesity Measures
Not applicable
BMI Measured or Self-reported
Not applicable
Covariates
Not reported
Data Reported on Race/Ethnicity
Not applicable
Data Reported on SES
Quantitative data for community or area
SES-related Variables
Income
How To Use
Administration
Who Administered
Researcher-administered
How Administered
Direct observation, PC/PDA/GPS unit
Time Required
Not reported
Training Required
Yes, time reported: 2-day in-office training + field training
Instructions on Use
Access at Active Living Research
Data Analysis
Data Collection/Analysis Costs
Not available
Data Collection/Protocol
Not available
Instructions on Data Analysis
Access at Active Living Research
Validity (1)
| Type of validity | Construct/subscale assessed | Criterion measure used | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criterion | 10 trail design and amenity items | GPS-derived observations | Kappa | 7 of 10 items had at least moderate reliability (>=0.40) |
Reliability (7)
| Type of reliability | Construct/subscale assessed | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-rater | Trail maintenance/aesthetics (all were categorical response items) | Intraclass correlation | 2 of 7 items had moderate reliability (>=0.40) |
| Inter-rater | Intersecting road characteristics (binary response items) | Kappa | 4 of 5 items had high reliability (>=0.85) |
| Inter-rater | Trail design characteristics (binary response items) | Kappa | 5 of 9 items had at least moderate reliability (>=0.40) |
| Inter-rater | Trail amenities (categorical response items) | Intracass correlation | 2 of 7 items had at least moderate reliability (>=0.40) |
| Inter-rater | Intersecting road characteristics (categorical response items) | Intraclass correlation | 0.57 (1 item) |
| Inter-rater | Train design characteristics (categorical response items) | Intraclass correlation | 5 of 8 items had at least moderate reliability (>=0.40) |
| Inter-rater | Trail amenities and ''other'' trail characteristics (binary response items) | Kappa | 23 of 33 had at least moderate reliability (>=0.40) |