scholarly journals How Much Observation Is Enough? Refining the Administration of SOPARC

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1117-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Cohen ◽  
Claude Setodji ◽  
Kelly R. Evenson ◽  
Phillip Ward ◽  
Sandra Lapham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
User Characteristics ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Robust Estimate ◽  
Neighborhood Parks

Background:The Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) was designed to estimate the number and characteristics of people using neighborhood parks by assessing them 4 times/day, 7 days/week. We tested whether this schedule was adequate and determined the minimum number of observations necessary to provide a robust estimate of park user characteristics and their physical activity levels.Methods:We conducted observations every hour for 14 hours per day during 1 summer and 1 autumn week in 10 urban neighborhood parks: 2 each in Los Angeles, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Columbus, OH; Durham, NC; and Philadelphia, PA. We counted park users by gender, age group, apparent race/ethnicity, and activity level. We used a standardized Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients to test the reliability of using fewer observations.Results:We observed 76,632 individuals, an average of 547/park/day (range 155−786). Interobserver reliability ranged from 0.80 to 0.99. Obtaining a robust estimate of park user characteristics and their physical activity required a schedule of 4 days/week, 4 times/day.Conclusion:An abbreviated schedule of SOPARC was sufficient for estimating park use, park user characteristics, and physical activity. Applying these observation methods can augment physical activity surveillance.

Validation and Reliability of the New Lifestyles NL-1000 Accelerometer in New Zealand Preschoolers

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne Liggett ◽  
Andrew Gray ◽  
Winsome Parnell ◽  
Rob McGee ◽  
Yvette McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Video Footage ◽  
Activity Rating

Background:Objective measures, such as accelerometers, are increasingly being used to measure physical activity (PA) levels in children, and the use of validated and reliable instruments is desirable when measuring the effectiveness of programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the New Lifestyles NL-1000 accelerometer among preschoolers using a modified version of the Children’s Activity Rating Scale (CARS).Methods:Fourteen preschoolers wore the NL-1000 at their waist while the device measured activity levels [in seconds of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)]. They were also videoed for approximately 12 minutes while participating in normal activities at an early childhood center. At approximately 2-minute intervals, activity level readings derived from the NL-1000 were recorded. The video footage was analyzed using a modified CARS technique and the CARS scores compared with data obtained from the accelerometer.Results:Within subject reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (0.58 for CARS and 0.59 for NL-1000). Furthermore, 95% of the variation in CARS could be explained by variation in the accelerometer counts, with 2.4% of the variation being participant-specific.Conclusion:The NL-1000 is a sufficiently reliable and valid tool for assessing MVPA in preschoolers.

scholarly journals Exploring the coach’s and athletes’ behaviour in martial arts

Kinesiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-207
Author(s):  
Jan-Erik Romar ◽  
Markus Ranta-Aho ◽  
Emyr Williams
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Martial Arts ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Practice Activity ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Practice Time

This descriptive study examined the processes of coaching and participation in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) for both experienced (n=3) and novice (n=3) adult participant, members of a martial arts club in Finland. Over a period of six weeks, five practice sessions were videotaped with a mean duration of 84.35 minutes. Systematic observation data were used to describe the practice structure and participants’ engagement. Additionally, a modified version of the Coach Analysis and Intervention System was used to evaluate coaching behaviour. The heart rate data were also collected to evaluate the participants’ physical activity levels. Results indicated that practice time allocated to training and playing were 75% and 25%, respectively, which differs from team sport research. The coaching emphasis observed in this study highlighted competition and technique perfection. The participants’ practice activity level was high with most participants spending more than half of practice time at a moderate-to-vigorous physical activity level. These findings show that both the structure and content of coaching practice is context specific and that the coach need to identify and react to the needs of individual athletes.

Psychometric Properties of Two Systematic Observation Techniques for Assessing Physical Activity Levels in Children with Mental Retardation

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina A. Taylor ◽  
Joonkoo Yun
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Validity Coefficient

This study examined the psychometric properties of the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and the Children’s Activity Rating Scale (CARS) for use with children with mental retardation (MR). Eleven children with MR were videotaped while participating in a university-based community outreach program. Actiwatch accelerometers were used as the criterion measure. Results indicated that SOFIT and CARS both demonstrated adequate levels of generalizability (ϕ= 0.98 and 0.75), but a low concurrent validity coefficient for SOFIT (r = .10) and a moderate level of validity coefficient for CARS (r = .61) were observed. CARS demonstrates stronger validity evidence than SOFIT, but it is important to have sufficient rater training before using CARS for measuring physical activity level of children with MR.

A Natural Experiment: Results of Community-Designed Park Improvements on Park Use and Physical Activity

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110262
Author(s):  
Cheryl Kelly ◽  
Morgan Clennin ◽  
Morgan Hughey
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Steering Committee ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Park Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Neighborhood Parks

The objective of this study was to assess if built environment changes to two suburban parks that involved extensive community engagement and physical activity programming increased park use and physical activity. This study employed a natural experiment evaluation design where community engagement informed the redesign of two neighborhood parks. Community engagement in the redesign of the parks was tracked as was the diversity of the partners on the steering committee and participation by community members in the process. Before and after park improvements, data were collected using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) instrument to measure change in use and activity level in each park. Park use increased at both parks, but physical activity levels did not significantly improve. The number of park visitors observed increased by 53% and 50%, respectively. Both parks had increased usage during evening hours when the family programming was the greatest. This study has several implications for policy and practice. First, this study suggests that community engagement can play a role in redesigning a park and likely leads to increased awareness and use of neighborhood parks. Second, while park use increased, simply adding new features to a park may not immediately increase physical activity. Additional efforts need to be made to activate the park and increase physical activity. Third, practitioners should not discount the value of building park awareness that increases park use as it may be a first step to increasing physical activity.

scholarly journals Use of SOPARC to assess physical activity in parks: do race/ethnicity, contextual conditions, and settings of the target area, affect reliability?

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Marquet ◽  
J. Aaron Hipp ◽  
Claudia Alberico ◽  
Jing-Huei Huang ◽  
Dustin Fry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
New York ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Agreement Rate ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Improve Reliability

Abstract Background Since its introduction in 2006, SOPARC (Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities) has become a fundamental tool to quantify park visitor behaviors and characteristics. We tested SOPARC reliability when assessing race/ethnicity, physical activity, contextual conditions at the time of observation, and settings of target areas to understand its utility when trying to account for individual characteristics of users. Methods We used 4725 SOPARC observations completed simultaneously by two independent observers to evaluate intraclass correlation and agreement rate between the two observers when trying to assess sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and level of physical activity of urban park users in different park settings. Observations were in 20 New York City parks during Spring and Summer 2017 within the PARC3 project. Results Observers counted 25,765 park users with high interobserver reliability (ICC = .94; %Agreement.75). Reliability scores were negatively affected by the population being observed, the intensity of physical activity, and the contextual conditions and settings of the target area at the time of observation. Specific challenges emerged when assessing the combination of physical activity and race/ethnicity. Conclusions SOPARC training should aim to improve reliability when assessing concurrent measures such as physical activity, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. Similarly, observing crowded park areas with many active users areas may require more observation practice hours.

The Relationship Among Television Watching, Physical Activity, and Body Composition of Young Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-455
Author(s):  
Robert H. DuRant ◽  
Tom Baranowski ◽  
Maribeth Johnson ◽  
William O. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Television Watching ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose. Television watching has been reported to be associated with obesity, resting energy expenditure, and lower daily physical activity among both children and adolescents. However, most of these studies were based on self report or data collected in laboratory settings. This study examined the relationship among observed time of television watching, observed physical activity level and body composition among 3- or 4-year-old children. Methods. African-American (41.4%), Mexican-American (23%), and Anglo-American (35.6%) children (N = 191, males = 90) from the Texas site of the Studies of Child Activity and Nutrition program were observed from 6 to 12 hours per day up to 4 days over 1 year. Activity level each minute of the day was measured with the Children's Activity Rating Scale (interobserver reliability = .84 ± .001). The interobserver reliability of time of television watching was .96 ± .08. Results. The median of the longest number of consecutive minutes of television watching was 15 (range = 1 to 79). The median percent of minutes of television watching of total observed minutes was 14.8% (0% to 58%) and the median percent of minutes of inside minutes was 17.9% (0% to 80.9%). There were no gender or ethnic differences in time watching television or physical activity during television watching. Physical activity during television watching was lowest during the longest bout of television watching (\l=x_\ = 1.48 ± .28) compared to outside minutes (\l=x_\ = 2.38 ± .21), inside non-television minutes (\l=x_\ = 1.96 ± .13) and inside television minutes (\l=x_\ = 1.65 ± .18). The level of physical activity during television-watching times was highest (P <.0031) during October and November and lowest during March, April, June, and July. Longest bout of television watching and percent of minutes watching television to total observed minutes were inversely associated with mean physical activity, percent of minutes of physical activity levels 3, 4, or 5, and percent of physical activity levels 4 or 5. Percent of television watching to inside minutes was negatively correlated with physical activity levels 4 or 5. Television-watching behavior was not associated with body composition. Conclusions. Television watching was weakly negatively correlated with physical activity levels, and physical activity was lower during television-watching than non-television-watching time in this sample of children. Television viewing behavior was not associated with body composition.

scholarly journals Use of SOPARC to assess physical activity in parks: do race/ethnicity, contextual conditions, and settings of the target area, affect reliability?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Marquet ◽  
J. Aaron Hipp ◽  
Claudia Alberico ◽  
Jing-Huei Huang ◽  
Dustin Fry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
New York ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Agreement Rate ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Improve Reliability

Abstract Background Since its introduction in 2006, SOPARC (Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities) has become a fundamental tool to quantify park visitor behaviors and characteristics. We tested SOPARC reliability when assessing race/ethnicity, physical activity, contextual conditions at the time of observation, and settings of target areas to understand its utility when trying to account for individual characteristics of users.Methods We used 4,725 SOPARC observations completed simultaneously by two independent observers to evaluate intraclass correlation and agreement rate between the two observers when trying to assess sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and level of physical activity of urban park users in different park settings. Observations were in 20 New York City parks during Spring and Summer 2017 within the PARC 3 project.Results Observers counted 25,765 park users with high interobserver reliability (ICC=.94; %Agreement.75). Reliability scores were negatively affected by the population being observed, the intensity of physical activity, and the contextual conditions and settings of the target area at the time of observation. Specific challenges emerged when assessing the combination of physical activity and race/ethnicity.Conclusions SOPARC training should aim to improve reliability when assessing concurrent measures such as physical activity, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. Similarly, observing crowded park areas with many active users areas may require more observation practice hours.

scholarly journals Use of SOPARC to assess physical activity in parks: do race/ethnicity, contextual conditions, and settings of the target area, affect reliability?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Marquet ◽  
J. Aaron Hipp ◽  
Claudia Alberico ◽  
Jing-Huei Huang ◽  
Dustin Fry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
New York ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Agreement Rate ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Improve Reliability

Abstract Background Since its introduction in 2006, SOPARC (Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities) has become a fundamental tool to quantify park visitor behaviors and characteristics. We tested SOPARC reliability when assessing race/ethnicity, physical activity, contextual conditions at the time of observation, and settings of target areas to understand its utility when trying to account for individual characteristics of users.Methods We used 4,725 SOPARC observations completed simultaneously by two independent observers to evaluate intraclass correlation and agreement rate between the two observers when trying to assess sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and level of physical activity of urban park users in different park settings. Observations were in 20 New York City parks during Spring and Summer 2017 within the PARC 3 project.Results Observers counted 25,765 park users with high interobserver reliability (ICC=.94; %Agreement.75). Reliability scores were negatively affected by the population being observed, the intensity of physical activity, and the contextual conditions and settings of the target area at the time of observation. Specific challenges emerged when assessing the combination of physical activity and race/ethnicity.Conclusions SOPARC training should aim to improve reliability when assessing concurrent measures such as physical activity, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. Similarly, observing crowded park areas with many active users areas may require more observation practice hours.

scholarly journals Later sleep timing predicts accelerated summer weight gain among elementary school children: a prospective observational study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennette P. Moreno ◽  
Javad Razjouyan ◽  
Houston Lester ◽  
Hafza Dadabhoy ◽  
Mona Amirmazaheri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
School Year ◽  
Children’S Sleep

Abstract Objectives and background Social demands of the school-year and summer environment may affect children’s sleep patterns and circadian rhythms during these periods. The current study examined differences in children’s sleep and circadian-related behaviors during the school-year and summer and explored the association between sleep and circadian parameters and change in body mass index (BMI) during these time periods. Methods This was a prospective observational study with 119 children ages 5 to 8 years with three sequential BMI assessments: early school-year (fall), late school-year (spring), and beginning of the following school-year in Houston, Texas, USA. Sleep midpoint, sleep duration, variability of sleep midpoint, physical activity, and light exposure were estimated using wrist-worn accelerometry during the school-year (fall) and summer. To examine the effect of sleep parameters, physical activity level, and light exposure on change in BMI, growth curve modeling was conducted controlling for age, race, sex, and chronotype. Results Children’s sleep midpoint shifted later by an average of 1.5 h during summer compared to the school-year. After controlling for covariates, later sleep midpoints predicted larger increases in BMI during summer, (γ = .0004, p = .03), but not during the school-year. Sleep duration, sleep midpoint variability, physical activity levels, and sedentary behavior were not associated with change in BMI during the school-year or summer. Females tended to increase their BMI at a faster rate during summer compared to males, γ = .06, p = .049. Greater amounts of outdoor light exposure (γ = −.01, p = .02) predicted smaller increases in school-year BMI. Conclusions Obesity prevention interventions may need to target different behaviors depending on whether children are in or out of school. Promotion of outdoor time during the school-year and earlier sleep times during the summer may be effective obesity prevention strategies during these respective times.

Real-Time Video Scan Method for Community Partner Use to Inform Play Streets Implementation

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110097
Author(s):  
Tyler Prochnow ◽  
M. Renée Umstattd Meyer ◽  
Christina N. Bridges Hamilton ◽  
Emily Wilkins ◽  
Keshia M. Pollack Porter
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Community Organizations ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Community Partner ◽  
Concordance Correlation ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Panoramic Video

System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) can provide accurate assessment of physical activity; however, the skills, time, and human resources necessary to collect/interpret SOPARC data can be challenging for community organizations. This article describes a more accessible adaptation of SOPARC using video recordings for community organizations to obtain physical activity feedback at Play Streets. Narrated panoramic video scans occurred every 30 minutes at each Play Street using an iPad. Videographers narrated: (1) sex, (2) age group (child, teen, adult, senior), and (3) activity level (sedentary, walking, vigorous) for everyone recorded. SOPARC video scans, in-person iSOPARC observations, and interviews were conducted with Play Streets implementors to determine validity and feasibility. Validity was examined using Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). In-person and video scans showed near perfect agreement for sedentary individuals (CCC = .95) and substantial agreement for active individuals (CCC = .72). Overall, community partners felt that they “could see how [the scans] could be useful” and “help[ed] see a bit more clearly what’s happening.” The method described here is a more accessible systematic observation approach to measure physical activity for communities implementing Play Streets. Further, this method can be used without research training while still providing valuable activity feedback.

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