Abstract
Citation
Spruijt-Metz D, Wolch J, Jerrett M, Byrne J, Hsieh S, Myles R, Xie B, Wang L, Chou CP, Reynolds KD. Development, reliability, and validity of an urban trail use survey. Am J Health Promot 2010 Sep-Oct;25(1):2-11.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use Questionnaire. DESIGN: Test-retest reliability was assessed by repeated measures (study 1); validity was assessed by comparing reported trail use to self-reported and objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels (study 2). SETTING: Study 1: a religious institution situated near a Los Angeles trail. Study 2: 1-mile buffer zones surrounding three urban trails (Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles). SUBJECTS: Thirty-four adults between 40 and 60 years of age (10 men and 24 women) completed the ROUTES questionnaire twice (study 1). Study 2 participants were 490 adults (48% female and 73% white), mean age 48 years. MEASURES: Trail use for recreation and transportation purposes, time and distance spent on trails, and characteristics of the trail and other trail users. PA was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and accelerometry. ANALYSES: Pearson correlation coefficients and kappa statistics were used for test-retest reliability for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate hypotheses on PA comparing trail users and nonusers. RESULTS: Test-retest statistics were acceptable (kappa = .57, r = .66). Validity was supported by correlations between indices of trail use with self-reported PA and accelerometry, and significant group differences between trail users and nonusers in PA levels. CONCLUSIONS: The ROUTES Trail Use Questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity.
Full Text
The full text is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.071105119
At A Glance
Physical Activity Environment Variables
| # | Scale |
|---|---|
| 102 | Segment |
Individual Physical Activity Behavior Variables
| Expenditure |
|---|
| Travel Walking |
| Leisure Walking |
| Bicycling |
Domain(s)
Physical Activity Environment
Individual Physical Activity Behavior
Measure Type
Questionnaire
Measure Availability
Not reported
Number of Items
86 Reported
Study location
Metro/Urban
Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Illinois, Texas, California, USA
Languages
English
Information about Development of Measure
The Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use Questionnaire was developed in several phases. The first draft included questions pertaining to ever use, last use, and frequency of use of trail, and why and when the trail was used. A second version asked separately about recreational and transportation use of the trail. Additional activities were then added based on collective suggestions from group members and from a review of existing questionnaires.
Study Design
Study Participants
Age
Adults
Sex
Female
Male
Race/Ethnicity
Hispanic
White
Black/African American
Asian
American Indian/Alaska Native
Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
Predominantly Low-income/Low-SES
Not reported
Sample Size
524
Study Design
Design Type
Validation/Reliability
Correlational/Observational
Health Outcomes Assessed
None
Obesity Measures
BMI for age
Not reported
BMI Measured or Self-reported
Self-reported height
Self-reported weight
Covariates
Psychological factors (e.g., self-efficacy, beliefs, preferences)
Social influence (e.g., parent modeling)
Environments or policies (if individual domain)
Data Reported on Race/Ethnicity
Quantitative data on study sample
Data Reported on SES
Quantitative data on study sample
SES-related Variables
Not applicable
How To Use
Administration
Who Administered
Self-administered
How Administered
Email/postal mail
Time Required
Not reported
Training Required
Not reported
Instructions on Use
Instructions on instrument use included in article
Data Analysis
Data Collection/Analysis Costs
Not reported
Data Collection/Protocol
In study one, the Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use questionnaire was mailed to members of a religious institution situated near a trail in an urban area. One adult member of the household completed and returned the survey. Two weeks after the first survey was returned, a second copy of the same survey was sent out to the persons who had completed the first survey. In study two, a random sample of residents living within a one mile buffer surrounding an urban trail completed the ROUTES Trail Use questionnaire, provided demographic information, and completed the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Participants also wore an Actigraph accelerometer for seven days.
Instructions on Data Analysis
Instructions on analysis included in article
Validity (3)
| Type of validity | Construct/subscale assessed | Criterion measure used | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criterion | Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use questionnaire, total time spent on trail (Recreation and transportation) | Accelerometry measured activities, minutes | Pearson correlation (r) | r = -0.12, p = 0.27 to r = 0.29, p = 0.01 |
| Criterion | Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use questionnaire, total time spent on trail (Transportation) | International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), transportation activities (minutes per week) | Pearson correlation (r) | r = 0.02, p = 0.90 to r = 0.15, p = 0.17 |
| Criterion | Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use questionnaire, total time spent on trail (Recreation) | International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), leisure-time activities (minutes per week) | Pearson correlation (r) | r = 0.06, p = 0.60 to r = 0.21, p = 0.06 |
Reliability (3)
| Type of reliability | Construct/subscale assessed | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test-retest | ROUTES Trail Use Questionnaire, continuous items | Pearson correlation (r) | r = 0.663 |
| Test-retest | ROUTES Trail Use Questionnaire, dichotomous items | Kappa statistics (k) | k = 0.5966 |
| Test-retest | ROUTES Trail Use Questionnaire, multiple responseitems | Kappa statistics (k) | k = 0.5207 |