Development and validation of a brief physical activity assessment tool for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
Citation & Export
Hide
Simple citation
Li, Cheng.
Development and validation of a brief physical activity assessment tool for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-ptd5-8k90Export
Description
TitleDevelopment and validation of a brief physical activity assessment tool for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
Date Created2020
Other Date2020-01 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (xiii, 213 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionPhysical activity is a core educational focus for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a federally funded nutrition education program that works with low-income families. However, there have been no previously validated tools to assess adults’ physical activity behavior changes resulting from EFNEP participation. This research’s primary purpose was to develop a brief physical activity assessment tool (BPAAT) that is reliable, valid, and sensitive for measuring changes in physical activity behaviors among EFNEP adult participants. Notably, this research was part of a multi-state, multi-year Agricultural Experiment Station research project, NC2169/3169: EFNEP-Related Research, Program Evaluation and Outreach.
The BPAAT includes 3 questions written in accordance with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the contents taught in EFNEP. A mixed method approach, with samples from various States, was used to accomplish the following: establish
content validity, face validity, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and sensitivity to change for the BPAAT.
In summary:
• Physical activity experts and State EFNEP Coordinators reviewed the BPAAT and response options to confirm content validity. Questions and response options were revised as necessary.
• One-on-one, semi-structured cognitive interviews (N=57) were conducted with adults who were eligible for EFNEP to test the BPAAT’s ease of understanding and appropriateness. Questions and response options were revised as needed.
• Test-retest reliability was established with low-income adults (N=75). Testing results showed all questions had at least moderate correlations using Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficients and Cohen’s weighted kappa (> 0.40) and “good” agreement (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.70).
• Concurrent validity testing was done with EFNEP participants (N=106) who, for 5 days: wore an accelerometer-based PA monitors for at least 10 hours per day; and, completed a self-reported physical activity log. The Spearman rank order correlation coefficient ranged from -0.18 to 0.87 comparing the BPAAT responses to the accelerometer data and the self-report logs.
• A secondary data analysis, using EFNEP’s national dataset from federal fiscal year 2018, was performed to assess sensitivity to change. Participants’ responses (N=53,393) to all questions demonstrated significant increase from pre to post-EFNEP (p<0.0001).
This newly developed BPAAT is the first to have been validated in a national representative sample of low-income adults. It is reproducible, sensitivity to intervention change, and rigorously tested for validity. The BPAAT provides a practical method to assess PA for programs with limited time and resources.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
Statistical Profile