WP5

Urban environment and transport related physical activity

List of partners involved

Karolinska Institutet (more info)
University of Gent (more info)
South East Public Health Observatory (more info)
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) (more info)

Coordinator of the Work Package

Description of the work

To change physical activity behaviour on population basis, it is essential to understand the forces underlying current activity patterns and trends. The urban environment may be a strong encouraging or discouraging factor for being physically active. Additionally, transport related physical activity indicates how physically active European citizens are by means of their daily transport. The work modules in work package 5 are related to urban environment and transport related physical activity.

Work Module 5.1: Environmental module of questionnaire

coordinated by Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij (more info)

To change physical activity behaviour on population basis, it is essential to understand the focus underlying current activity patterns and trends. The urban environment may be a strong encouraging or discouraging factor for being physically active. To assist city planning, information on physical activity encouraging features of the urban environment is needed. Presently, European Member States assess urban environment characteristics by self-report questionnaires. It is essential to develop and test a harmonized questionnaire to assess urban environment characteristic. However, there is no European standard. Conduct a thorough literature review on currently used questionnaires to assess environmental aspects of physical activity. This review should result in an overview of the problems related to existing questionnaires and possible solutions.
Develop and distribute a survey on currently used questionnaires assessing environmental aspects of physical activity in Member States. A single questionnaire will be developed by all work-packages, focusing on the different topics concerned with ALPHA. Per topic questions will be asked related to monitoring physical activity on a national level, with which tool is physical activity assessed, in which population etc.
Half way during the first year, one should start with developing an environmental module for the questionnaire.
Organize a common side session to the Kick-off Meeting with the other modules in work package 5.
During the consensus meeting, the findings of the previous year’s work will be presented. The aim of the meeting is to come to a consensus regarding the feasibility of the new module.
Execute field-testing of the newly developed module and questionnaire, in parallel to the IPAQ testing.
Translating the module into 6 different languages.
Draft the recommendations for monitoring environmental aspects of physical activity in European Member States.
Draft Booklet chapter
Present the results at the Grand Final Meeting.

The deliverables for work module 5.1 are the following

Questionnaire module on the assessment of environmental aspects of physical activity.
Summary booklet chapter stating the results of the environment questionnaire module development, testing, and expert consultations as well as recommendations given.

Work Module 5.2: Active transportation module

coordinated by Harry Rutter (more info)

Transport related physical activity indicates, how physically active European citizens are by means of their daily transport. It is essential to develop and test a harmonized questionnaire to assess transport related physical activity. Conduct a thorough literature review on currently used questionnaires to assess aspects of active transportation in relation to physical activity. This review should result in an overview of the problems related to existing questionnaires and possible solutions.
Develop and distribute a survey on currently used questionnaires assessing aspects of active transportation in relation to physical activity in Member States. A single questionnaire will be developed by all work-packages, focusing on the different topics concerned with ALPHA. Per topic, questions will be asked related to monitoring physical activity on a national level, with which tool is physical activity assessed, in which population etc.
Half way during the first year, one should start with analyzing existing data sources on barriers and promoters of transport related physical activity.
Additionally, during the second part of the first year, one will start developing an active transportation module for the questionnaire.
Organize a common side session to the Kick-off Meeting with the other modules in work package 5.
During the consensus meeting, the findings of the previous year’s work will be presented. The aim of the meeting is to come to a consensus regarding the feasibility of the new module.
Translate the module into six different languages.
Draft the recommendations for monitoring transport related physical activity in European Member States.
Draft Booklet chapter
Present the results at the Grand Final Meeting.

The deliverables for work module 5.2 are the following:

Questionnaire module to assess aspects of active transportation in relation to physical activity.
Summary booklet chapter stating the results of active transportation questionnaire module development, testing, and expert consultations as well as recommendations given.

Work Module 5.3: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as data sources (University of Gent)