Objectives-Three studies were undertaken to establish the reliability and validity of the Scottish physical activity questionnaire (SPAQ), developed to aid seven day recall of leisure and occupational physical activity. Methods-To establish reliability, SPAQs (n = 34) were completed on a Monday and the following Wednesday. Thus each questionnaire measured four identical days. To establish concurrent validity, 94 participants completed a SPAQ and an adapted stage of exercise behaviour change questionnaire. Responses to SPAQ were then analysed by stage of exercise behaviour change. In a further study of criterion validity, 30 volunteers wore a Caltrac motion sensor for four consecutive days, after which they completed a SPAQ. Results-In the first study, total physical activity had a coeYcient of repeatability (R) of 53 minutes. Occupational physical activity showed a similar variance (R = 54.6 minutes) but leisure physical activity was more reliable (R = 29.3 minutes). The main variation in occupational physical activity was found to be walking (R = 39.8 minutes). In study 2, a one way analysis of variance showed the expected relation between physical activity and stage of exercise behaviour change, confirming the concurrent validity of SPAQ with the stage of exercise behaviour change model. In study 3, several erroneous recordings affected both SPAQ and the Caltrac results (kcal). After relevant corrections had been made, the correlation between the two measurement devices was 0.52 (p<0.05). Conclusions-SPAQ has been shown to be reliable and to hold strong concurrent validity and limited criterion validity. The main limitation in SPAQ appears to be the measurement of occupational walking. It is therefore recommended that further work be conducted to refine the measurement of this physical activity component. It is evident nonetheless that SPAQ can be used with confidence to measure outcomes in physical activity interventions when account is taken of its limitations. (Br J Sports Med 1999;33:244-249) Keywords: physical activity; questionnaire; reliability; validity There is growing evidence to suggest that participation in physical activity (described as "any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure" 1 ) may have several benefits for health and protect against certain chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, 2 hypertension, 3 non-insulindependent diabetes mellitus, 4 certain site specific cancers, 5 and osteoporosis, 6 as well as normalising fat metabolism 7 and increasing energy expenditure aiding weight control. Northern Ireland, 10 and Scotland 11 indicate very high levels of inactivity, with 34, 38, and 53% of the English, Northern Irish, and Scottish populations respectively reporting only one to four occasions of a mix of moderate and vigorous activity or less in the preceding month. It can be concluded that a high proportion of the British population can be targeted with interventions aimed at increasing physical activity.The Scottish physical activi...

The main aim of this study was to assess the effects of a fitness assessment and exercise consultation on physical activity over 1 year in non-regularly active participants drawn from a socially and economically deprived community. Of 3000 people invited to volunteer for either intervention, 225 fitness assessment volunteers were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group; 145 exercise consultation volunteers were similarly assigned. Physical activity was measured at baseline, 4 weeks, 3 months (plus an intervention re-test), 6 months and 1 year. Analysis of variance and follow-up Bonferroni analysis showed that, for those not regularly active at baseline, physical activity increased significantly to 4 weeks, was maintained to 6 months but had fallen by 1 year. Only those receiving an exercise consultation significantly increased their physical activity after 1 year. Compared with fitness assessments, chi-square analysis showed that significantly more non-regularly active participants volunteered for an exercise consultation and those receiving an exercise consultation had significantly better long-term study adherence than those receiving a fitness assessment. The study also showed that, contrary to popular opinion, those in a socially and economically deprived community are not 'hard to reach' and respond well to physical activity interventions.

Preexposure prophylaxis active referrals from STI clinics to partner sites are feasible, though drop out was prominent in the initial steps of the continuum. Youth were less likely to link or receive prescriptions, indicating the need for tailored interventions for this vulnerable population.

This longitudinal study identified processes of exercise behaviour change (POC) associated with movement between the stages of exercise behaviour change (SOC). Participants' (N = 312) physical activity, SOC and POC were recorded at baseline, one, three, six and 12 months post-test. Following baseline, participants received one of three physical activity interventions. The process of self-liberation was important at each stage movement. The process of stimulus control appeared important when progressing from contemplation to preparation. Progression from action into maintenance was associated with increased use of social liberation and helping relationships. The study indicated the transtheoretical model is applicable to a British population.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at increased risk for HIV and STI infection. While encouraging HIV and STI testing among YMSM remains a public health priority, we know little about the cultural competency of providers offering HIV/STI tests to YMSM in public clinics. As part of a larger intervention study, we employed a mystery shopper methodology to evaluate the LGBT cultural competency and quality of services offered in HIV and STI testing sites in Southeast Michigan (n = 43).We trained and deployed mystery shoppers (n = 5) to evaluate the HIV and STI testing sites by undergoing routine HIV/STI testing. Two shoppers visited each site, recording their experiences using a checklist that assessed 13 domains, including the clinic’s structural characteristics and interactions with testing providers. We used the site scores to examine the checklist’s psychometric properties and tested whether site evaluations differed between sites only offering HIV testing (n = 14) versus those offering comprehensive HIV/STI testing (n = 29). On average, site scores were positive across domains. In bivariate comparisons by type of testing site, HIV testing sites were more likely than comprehensive HIV/STI testing clinics to ascertain experiences of intimate partner violence, offer action steps to achieve safer sex goals, and provide safer sex education. The developed checklist may be used as a quality assurance indicator to measure HIV/STI testing sites’ performance when working with YMSM. Our findings also underscore the need to bolster providers’ provision of safer sex education and behavioral counseling within comprehensive HIV/STI testing sites.

No abstract