Project 462916

Physical activity is essential for healthy child development, yet 80% of youth are not active enough and we lack information about activity levels of young children. Current physical activity questionnaires were developed in high-income countries without considering the context of low-income countries. They tend to neglect some types of physical activity such as active play. Addressing these issues would make it easier to compare activity levels within and between countries. Such comparisons could help identify countries that are doing well in promoting some types of activity and help other countries develop interventions to increase physical activity. We will develop an app-based questionnaire and determine its accuracy in measuring physical activity among 5- to 17-year-olds in 14 low-, middle-, and high-income countries from 6 continents. Our second objective is to collect data on active play for the first time in many of these countries. Our study will involve 8 stages. First, we are completing a review of the pros and cons of current questionnaires. Next, we will develop a first draft of the new questionnaire and ask experts and lay people in the 14 countries to review it (stages 2-4). Based on these initial results, we will develop a new version of the questionnaire and translate it into the main languages of each country (stages 5-6). Next, we will do a pilot-study with 30 children and one of their parents in each country. Finally, we will do the main study with 500 children and parents per country. We will recruit participants in urban and rural areas that differ in wealth. We will compare our questionnaire data to a precise movement sensor ("accelerometer"). We expect that our new questionnaire will facilitate the measurement of physical activity globally. Our sample will be the largest and most diverse ever collected to assess the accuracy of such a questionnaire.