Audit Work Group

BACKGROUND: In order to investigate how the environment may affect people’s health, particularly through the amount of physical activity they acquire, researchers in the areas of public health, transportation and planning have developed a wide range of questionnaires/instruments to collect objective and self-reported data on the environment, activity habits, as well as a range of possible mediating factors.  These data collection instruments/questionnaires are either totally original, or are modifications of existing forms designed to meet a specific need.  Many of these instruments may have proven validity and reliability and thus suited for use in other studies/countries, especially those wishing to compare samples, or to combine data-sets to expand the limited variability often seen in one sample area.   Researchers interested in using these questionnaires/microscales/audits may benefits from knowing the existence of other depositories or in sharing individually created instruments.

AIMS: To enhance the sharing to data-collection instruments related to physical activity and the environment

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES:

1.   To contact a wide range of researchers interested in activity/environmental data collection using questionnaires/microscales/audits

2.   To solicit help in documenting the existence of existing depositories of these activity/environment instruments/audits

3.   To devise an on-line system to allow members to add/share their own activity/environment questionnaires/microscales/audits across a wide range of specific areas/domains

4.   To link to the CEPA website to publicise both the existing depositories as well as those specialist instruments provided by members

CONTACT: Duncan Macfarlane (global coordinator): djmac@hku.hk ; Christine Hoehner (co-coordinator - USA): hoehnerc@wudosis.wustl.edu ;  Anne Ellaway (co-coordinator - UK): anne@sphsu.mrc.ac.uk