The COM-B Physical Activity Questionnaire (COM-B PAQ) is a research-based tool designed to help understand why people do, or don’t, engage in physical activity.
It measures three key factors that influence behaviour, based on the COM-B model:
Capability – Do I have the knowledge, skills, and ability?
Opportunity – Does my environment and social context support me?
Motivation – Do I want to be active, and is it part of my routine?
If one of these areas is limited, being physically active becomes much harder.
The questionnaire is grounded in the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour) and fully mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).
It can provide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with a robust way to identify barriers and enablers to physical activity, helping to provide insight to design more effective, targeted behaviour change interventions.
Despite clear health benefits, many adults do not meet recommended activity levels. To design effective programmes, we first need to understand the barriers people face.
The COM-B PAQ can provide insight to help organisations:
Identify what is holding people back
Understand differences between active and less active groups
Design more targeted, effective interventions
Evaluate whether programmes are changing the right behavioural factors
The questionnaire was developed through a rigorous academic process and has been shown to be:
✔ Reliable
✔ Valid
✔ Predictive of physical activity levels
✔ Sensitive to differences between more and less active individuals
It is grounded in internationally recognised behaviour change frameworks, including the Behaviour Change Wheel, ensuring results can directly inform practical action.
The COM-B PAQ can support:
Behavioural diagnosis
Intervention design
Pre- and post-programme evaluation
Research and service evaluation
Workforce or community insight
Individual self-reflection
Individuals interested in understanding their own behaviour
It can be used to assess needs, inform programme design, and measure change over time.
Two versions are available:
Full Version (37 items) – comprehensive behavioural assessment
Short Form (15 items) – efficient screening tool for real-world settings
By identifying whether capability, opportunity, or motivation is the main barrier, users can design smarter, more targeted strategies, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches.
Results from the COM-B PAQ can be directly linked to the Behaviour Change Wheel and Behaviour Change Techniques, helping translate insight into practical intervention strategies.
Understanding behaviour is the first step to changing it.
For more information on the COM-B model, BCW and BCT Taxanomy please visit here.