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.

The tool assesses residential density, land use mix (including indices of proximity and accessibility), street connectivity, infrastructure for walking/cycling, neighborhood aesthetics, and traffic and crime safety. There are separate self-administered versions for parents and adolescents (aged 11 and above).

The NEWS-Y instrument was derived from the NEWS-A, adaptations were made based on interviews with youth and parents, and it was tested in the Active Where? Study.

The Active Where? Study was designed to develop measures to understand how the physical environment impacts physical activity and eating behaviors related to chronic diseases, such as obesity, among children and youth. This study started with individual interviews with children and parents 'in situ', thus allowing researchers to observe and interact with youth while using neighborhood and park environments. This formative work was designed to generate appropriate items.

A set of quantitative survey measures was developed to assess home, neighborhood, park, and school environments to...