ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of methods used to measure physical activity in public health surveillance and to assess recommended levels of physical activity for health. As a health-enhancing behavior, researchers and public health professionals are interested in knowing how to measure physical activity to identify changes in physical activity following intervention studies and community programs and how to determine the prevalence of physical activity and inactivity for use in surveillance systems. Historically, physical activity was most commonly measured by subjective self-reports of structured exercise. The types of activities measured reected knowledge about the dose and volume of vigorous intensity exercise that led to improvements in cardiorespiratory —tness. Following dissemination about the bene—ts of
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 179 Subjective Measures .............................................................................................. 180
Recall Questionnaires........................................................................................ 180 Global Questionnaires ....................................................................................... 181 Quantitative History .......................................................................................... 182 Records and Logbooks ...................................................................................... 183
Objective Measures ................................................................................................ 183 Activity Monitors .............................................................................................. 184 Pedometers ........................................................................................................ 184 Accelerometers .................................................................................................. 185 Direct Observation ............................................................................................ 187 Direct/Indirect Calorimetry ............................................................................... 187 Doubly Labeled Water....................................................................................... 187
Activity Space .............................................................................................. 188 Physical Activity Space ................................................................................ 188 Combining Technology to Assess Physical Activity .................................... 189 Limitations and Challenges in Physical Activity Space ............................... 190
Summary ................................................................................................................ 190 Study Questions ..................................................................................................... 191 References .............................................................................................................. 191
moderate-intensity exercise on reducing risks for chronic diseases and premature mortality, surveillance of physical activity expanded to include self-reports of moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity (Macera et al. 2005; Pate et al. 1995). Advances in the use of accelerometers (devices that measure accelerations, or movement) to record movement by intensity and duration has expanded the measurement of physical activity to include objective methods, in addition to subjective self-report questionnaires, to measure physical activity in surveillance settings. This chapter provides an overview of subjective and objective methods used to measure physical activity in public health surveillance and to assess recommended levels of physical activity for health.
