How to measure physical activity and sedentary behaviour: the first step in developing an innovative, widely-applicable instrument
Projectomschrijving
Praktisch meetbaar maken van bewegen én niet bewegen
Vraagstuk
Voor de volksgezondheid is het van groot belang dat mensen fysiek actief zijn en een sedentaire leefstijl voorkomen. Door het nauwkeurig meten van beweeggedrag en daaraan gerelateerde kenmerken, zijn risicogroepen aan te wijzen en zijn de effecten van maatregelen te evalueren. Is er een voorstel te maken voor een breed toepasbaar instrument dat fysieke activiteit en sedentair gedrag eenvoudig meet?Onderzoek
Naast literatuuronderzoek en het raadplegen van online bronnen, zijn (inter)nationale onderzoekers en deskundigen op het gebied van het meten van fysieke activiteit en sedentair gedrag geconsulteerd.Uitkomst
Er zijn drie belangrijke te meten kenmerken: beweeggedrag (lichaamshoudingen en -bewegingen); het energiegebruik en de context van het beweeggedrag (de situatie of omstandigheden waarin houdingen en bewegingen plaatsvinden). Vanuit zowel methodologisch als gebruikersperspectief is er een voorkeur voor een draagbaar instrument met in elk geval een 3D-versnellingssensor. Zo’n instrument bestaat nog niet.Verslagen
Samenvatting van de aanvraag
Physical activity is a multi-dimensional aspect of human behaviour, which can be measured in different ways. So far, questionnaires have been the most feasible method of assessing habitual physical activity in large populations. However, there is evidence from a number of systematic reviews that none of the currently available questionnaires have adequate reliability and validity.
Another way of assessing habitual physical activity and sedentary behaviour is by using technological devices such as accelerometers. So far, widespread use of these devices in e.g. epidemiological studies has been hampered by their costs and several practical and methodological issues. However, technological developments have resulted in several devices with an increasing level of applicability. As a result, their usage in studies in large populations is becoming closer and closer. At the same time other technological developments (e.g. GPS, mobile phones, internet) allow other feasible approaches to measure physical activity.
ZonMw formulated a request for a project in which an instrument for measuring physical activity will be developed that is useful for a wide population and that is reliable and valid. In consultation with ZonMw it is decided to apply a two-phases trajectory. The overall aim of phase I - topic of the current proposal – is to propose an instrument to measure quantative aspects (such as amount, intensity, distribution) of physical activity and sedentary behaviour that is useful for a wide population and that can be regarded promising with regard to feasibility, reliability, validity and responsiveness. Therefore, phase will 1) provide an overview of current methods and devices to measure quantitative dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behaviour, 2) provide a conceptual overview of physical activity and sedentary behaviour and its most prevalent and relevant quantitative dimensions and parameters for different age categories in the Netherlands, 3) provide an overview of recent or future developments, that might contribute to the product to be developed and evaluated in phase II, and 4) propose an innovative, and widely-applicable and widely-accepted device to measure defined aspects of physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour, that will be tested and validated in phase II.
Phase I consists of five separate activities that each will cover part of the overall aim to propose an universal PA measure. These are (1) a literature review on objective PA measurement techniques and outcome measures; (2) an internet search and related activities on PA measurement products not covered in current scientific literature; (3) intenational expert consultation; (4)focus group interviews with Dutch key users of PA measurement techniques; and (5) consultation of potential users.