Page 53 - Sember, Vedrana, and Shawnda A. Morrison. 2018. The Mind-Body Connection. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 53
Quantifying Physical Activity
and diaries (Armstrong & Welsman, 2006; Laggeros & Lagiou, 2007).
Subjective instruments are the most widely used type of physic-
al activity assessment. It is very important to identify strength and
limitations of their use before using them. The recognized benefit of
self-report is collected data from a large number of children at low
cost. Self-reports have been used in different age ranges and meas-
ures can be adapted to fit the need of particular research and popu-
lation (Sallis & Saelens, 2000).
Questionnaires are the most common used tools for measuring
physical activity with children and adolescents. There are gener-
ally two types of questionnaires, the self-report type where the
older children and adolescents report on their PA on their own,
and the proxy-report where physical activity of young children is
reported by parents or teachers (Sallis & Saelens, 2000). Self-reports
have been used in a range of ages, and can be either interviewer-
administered or self-administered. In self-report, participants are
normally asked to obtain activity participation during a recent peri-
od of time (1 hour, 1 day, 7 days, 1 month) (Kohl et al., 2000). Disad-
vantage of self-report is validity and reliability of results (Shephard,
2003) due to over-reporting of physical activity (Warnecke et al.,
1997), since recalling physical activity is very complex cognitive task
(Baranowski, 1988). Disadvantage of proxy-report is reporter’s abil-
ity to observe the physical activity of the subject (Sallis & Saelenes,
2000). Benefits of questionnaires are simple compilation of the res-
ults and addressing a wide range of parameters such as type, meth-
od, duration and frequency of exercise (Planinšec, 2003). It has been
suggested that children younger than 12 years are unable to reli-
ably estimate their activity and quantify the time of their activity
(Pate, 1993). The main advantage of the questionnaires is simpli-
city, but they most often provide only minimal information about
activity. Objectivity of the data collected with questionnaires is low,
but they can be a very useful tool when we need quick and essen-
tial information about children’s physical activity (Volmut, 2014).
Questionnaires are a very good supplement to objective methods
of measuring in order to assess the context and type of physical
activity.
51
and diaries (Armstrong & Welsman, 2006; Laggeros & Lagiou, 2007).
Subjective instruments are the most widely used type of physic-
al activity assessment. It is very important to identify strength and
limitations of their use before using them. The recognized benefit of
self-report is collected data from a large number of children at low
cost. Self-reports have been used in different age ranges and meas-
ures can be adapted to fit the need of particular research and popu-
lation (Sallis & Saelens, 2000).
Questionnaires are the most common used tools for measuring
physical activity with children and adolescents. There are gener-
ally two types of questionnaires, the self-report type where the
older children and adolescents report on their PA on their own,
and the proxy-report where physical activity of young children is
reported by parents or teachers (Sallis & Saelens, 2000). Self-reports
have been used in a range of ages, and can be either interviewer-
administered or self-administered. In self-report, participants are
normally asked to obtain activity participation during a recent peri-
od of time (1 hour, 1 day, 7 days, 1 month) (Kohl et al., 2000). Disad-
vantage of self-report is validity and reliability of results (Shephard,
2003) due to over-reporting of physical activity (Warnecke et al.,
1997), since recalling physical activity is very complex cognitive task
(Baranowski, 1988). Disadvantage of proxy-report is reporter’s abil-
ity to observe the physical activity of the subject (Sallis & Saelenes,
2000). Benefits of questionnaires are simple compilation of the res-
ults and addressing a wide range of parameters such as type, meth-
od, duration and frequency of exercise (Planinšec, 2003). It has been
suggested that children younger than 12 years are unable to reli-
ably estimate their activity and quantify the time of their activity
(Pate, 1993). The main advantage of the questionnaires is simpli-
city, but they most often provide only minimal information about
activity. Objectivity of the data collected with questionnaires is low,
but they can be a very useful tool when we need quick and essen-
tial information about children’s physical activity (Volmut, 2014).
Questionnaires are a very good supplement to objective methods
of measuring in order to assess the context and type of physical
activity.
51
