ABSTRACT
Report-based measures are one of the most widely used methods to assess physical activity (PA) due to their versatility, ease of administration, and low cost. Report-based methods imply the use of a measure, a respondent, and sometimes, an interviewer. This chapter provides an introductory description of such measures along with their applications. It also describes emerging developments for report-based methods for use in youth PA research. The chapter begins with an overview of the merits of self-reports, referred to as “report-based” measures or “reports” throughout the chapter and include descriptions of the various types of report-based measures and their applications. This is followed by a discussion of three key considerations related to the use of these measures, including: cognitive processes associated with the recall and reporting of PA, understanding the sources of error that can affect estimates obtained from report-based measures, and interpretation of the information obtained from reports.
