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Walkability Audit Tool
Evidence suggests that most individuals need to get more physical activity. Walking is just one way that individuals can increase the amount of physical activity they engage in. However, many environments are not suitable, safe, or attractive for walking. The Walkability Audit tool assesses the walkability of a workplace. It elicits information on pedestrian facilities, pedestrian conflicts, crosswalks, maintenance, path size, buffers, universal accessibility, aesthetics, and shade. Respondents must also provide information on dangerous or unpleasant elements of the environment, potential...
The Learning Organization Survey
The authors describe a learning organization as one where employees expertly build, gain, and share knowledge. Within a learning organization, there is a supportive learning environment, specific learning processes and practices, and the leaders encourage and promote learning.
This instrument allows individuals to examine how much learning is going on in an organization. It is divided into three key sections. The first section, Supportive Learning Environment, assesses psychological safety, appreciation of differences, openness to new ideas, and time for reflection. The second...
Systematic Pedestrian and Cycling Environmental Scan (SPACES) Instrument
The Systematic Pedestrian and Cycling Environmental Scan (SPACES) Instrument is based on a study (Pikora et al., 2006) which collected information related to the physical environment in a 408-km2 area of metropolitan Perth. Hepburn Avenue, Lord Street Beechboro, Point Resolution and the coast form the borders for the area. Approximately 2,000 kilometres of road network were audited during February and March 2000 using SPACES. Some areas were audited twice to act as a quality control measure.
Measurement Instrument for Urban Design Quantities Related to Walkability
An operational definitions and measurement protocols for six intangible qualities of the urban environment, specifically: imageability, visual enclosure, human scale, transparency, complexity, and tidiness; was developed in order to study relationships between the built environment and walking behaviour.
System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time
SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time) is a comprehensive tool for assessing physical education classes by providing for the simultaneous collection of data on student activity levels, the lesson context, and teacher behavior. Physical activity engagement is one of the main health-related goals of physical education and it is needed in order for students to become physically fit and physically skilled. Participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during class is highly dependent upon how physical education subject matter is delivered (i.e., lesson context)...
System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY)
The System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY) is based on momentary time sampling techniques in which systematic and periodic scans of individuals and contextual factors within pre-determined target areas are made. During a scan the activity of each individual is mechanically or electronically coded as Sedentary (lying down, sitting, or standing), Walking, or Very Active. Separate scans are made for females and males, and simultaneous entries are also made for time of day, temperature, area accessibility, area usability, presence of supervision, presence and...
School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA)
The S-PAPA uses open-ended, dichotomous, multichotomous, and checklist formatting and has 7 background items and three modules: (a) Physical Education (40 items); (b) Recess (27 items), and (c) Other Before, During, and After School Programs (15 items). Test-retest results suggest SPAPA items are reliable and can be useful in assessing PA policies in elementary schools (Lounsbery et al., 2011). Total administration time for all three modules is approximately 23 minutes.
Behaviors of Eating and Activity for Children’s Health: Evaluation System (BEACHES)
The Behaviors of Eating and Activity for Children’s Health: Evaluation System (BEACHES) is a direct observation system used to simultaneously record children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviors as well as related environmental characteristics and events. The physical activity codes have been validated using heart rate monitors and accelerometers, and the system can be used in homes, schools, and most settings where children might be found.The original system was developed within the framework of behavioral analysis and included coding for 10 separate dimensions. These dimensions...
Path Environment Audit Tool (PEAT)
To determine how physical characteristics of trails may influence use, reliable and valid audit tools are needed. The Path Environment Audit Tool (PEAT) was developed with design, amenity, and aesthetics/maintenance items. Two observers independently audited 185 trail segments at 6 Massachusetts facilities. GPS-derived items were used as a "gold standard." Kappa (k) statistics, observed agreement and ICCs were calculated to assess inter-observer reliability and validity. Fifteen of 16 primary amenity items had k-values > 0.49 ("moderate") and all had observed agreement > 81%. Seven...
Environmental Assessment of Public Recreation Spaces (EAPRS) Tool
See Author's guidebook for more detailed information.
