Abstract
Citation
Rosenberg DE, Sallis JF, Kerr J, Maher J, Norman GJ, Durant N, Harris SK, Saelens BE. Brief scales to assess physical activity and sedentary equipment in the home. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2010 Jan 31;7:10.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviors such as TV viewing are associated with childhood obesity, while physical activity promotes healthy weight. The role of the home environment in shaping these behaviors among youth is poorly understood. The study purpose was to examine the reliability of brief parental proxy-report and adolescent self-report measures of electronic equipment and physical activity equipment in the home and to assess the construct validity of these scales by examining their relationship to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight status of children and adolescents. METHODS: Participants were adolescents (n = 189; mean age = 14.6), parents of adolescents (n = 171; mean age = 45.0), and parents of younger children (n = 116; parents mean age = 39.6; children's mean age = 8.3) who completed two surveys approximately one month apart. Measures included a 21-item electronic equipment scale (to assess sedentary behavior facilitators in the home, in the child or adolescent's bedroom, and portable electronics) and a 14-item home physical activity equipment scale. Home environment factors were examined as correlates of children's and adolescents' physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight status after adjusting for child age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, and number of children in the home. RESULTS: Most scales had acceptable test-retest reliability (intraclass correlations were .54 - .92). Parent and adolescent reports were correlated. Electronic equipment in adolescents' bedrooms was positively related to sedentary behavior. Activity equipment in the home was inversely associated with television time in adolescents and children, and positively correlated with adolescents' physical activity. Children's BMI z-score was positively associated with having a television in their bedroom. CONCLUSIONS: The measures of home electronic equipment and activity equipment were similarly reliable when reported by parents and by adolescents. Home environment attributes were related to multiple obesity-related behaviors and to child weight status, supporting the construct validity of these scales.
Full Text
The full text is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-10
At A Glance
Physical Activity Environment Variables
| # | Type of Environment/Location |
|---|---|
| 647 | Home |
| # | Scale |
|---|---|
| - | Equipment |
| - | Swimming pool, recreation room |
| Measure | objective | perceived |
|---|---|---|
| Facility Access/Availablity/Proximity | ✘ | ✔ |
| Social Environment | ✘ | ✔ |
Individual Physical Activity Behavior Variables
| Expenditure |
|---|
| Sedentary Activity |
| Total Physical Activity/Physical Activity Level |
| Behavior |
|---|
| Screen Time |
Domain(s)
Physical Activity Environment
Individual Physical Activity Behavior
Measure Type
Questionnaire
Measure Availability
Number of Items
37 Reported
Study location
Metro/Urban
San Diego, Cincinnati, California, Ohio, USA
Languages
English
Information about Development of Measure
The survey was developed from existing measures, previous research, and through a formative research process that included phone and in-person interviews conducted with children and parents. Wording on the survey was slightly different depending on whether the respondent was answering as a proxy for their child or adolescent, or for themselves.
Study Design
Study Participants
Age
2 - 5 Years
6 - 11 Years
12 - 18 Years
Sex
Female
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Non-white
Predominantly Low-income/Low-SES
No
Sample Size
647
Study Design
Design Type
Validation/Reliability
Health Outcomes Assessed
None
Obesity Measures
BMI for age
BMI Measured or Self-reported
Self-reported height
Self-reported weight
Covariates
Not available
Data Reported on Race/Ethnicity
Quantitative data on study sample
Data Reported on SES
Quantitative data on study sample
SES-related Variables
Income
How To Use
Administration
Who Administered
Self-administered
Third-party administered (e.g., parent/staff)
How Administered
Email/postal mail
Time Required
5 to 10 minutes
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
A test-retest design was utilized. The average time between completion of the two surveys was twenty-seven days. All survey measures were completed by three participant groups: parents as a proxy for their children between ages five and eleven, parents as a proxy for their adolescents between ages twelve and eighteen, and adolescents for themselves.
Instructions on Data Analysis
Instructions on analysis included in article
Validity (1)
| Type of validity | Construct/subscale assessed | Criterion measure used | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construct | Survey subscales | Body mass index z score (BMI); Physical activity (PA); Sedentary composite (SED); Television viewing time (TV) | Linear regression | (BMI) p = 0.84 to 0.03; (PA) p = 0.99 to 0.01; (SED) p = 0.54 to 0.005; (TV) p = 0.93 to 0.00 |
Reliability (9)
| Type of reliability | Construct/subscale assessed | Test/statistic used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test-retest | Electronics in the home and bedroom survey scales, parental proxy-report for child | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.37 to 0.96 |
| Test-retest | Physical activity equipment survey scales, parental proxy-report for child | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.53 to 0.85 |
| Test-retest | Behavioral outcomes survey scales, parental proxy-report for child | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.53 to 0.67 |
| Test-retest | Electronics in the home and bedroom survey scales, self-report by adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.51 to 0.87 |
| Test-retest | Physical activity equipment survey scales, self-report by adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.48 to 0.78 |
| Test-retest | Behavioral outcomes survey scales, self-report by adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.63 to 0.67 |
| Test-retest | Electronics in the home and bedroom survey scales, parental proxy-report for adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.38 to 0.91 |
| Test-retest | Physical activity equipment survey scales, parental proxy-report for adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.50 to 0.76 |
| Test-retest | Behavioral outcomes survey scales, parental proxy-report for adolescent | Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) | ICC = 0.57 to 0.70 |