Physical activity: key data sources
Health Behaviour in School-aged Children
The 2001/02 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey included two questions that focused on physical activity of at least moderate intensity carried out at school and/or in free-time during both the previous week and a typical week. These were:
- Over the past 7 days, on how many days were you physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day?
- Over a typical or usual week, on how many days are you physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day?
The response categories for both were: 0 days, 1 day, 2 days, ...7 days. Scores were calculated by averaging the results of the two items. A score of 5 or more classified the respondent as meeting the recommendation of one hour or more moderate activity on most days of the week (five or more).
The 2001/02 report compared the responses of boys and girls across countries in terms of the average number of days on which young people were physically active for a total of one hour or more, and the percentage of young people meeting the recommendation for physical activity.
Health Education Population Survey
Respondents are asked how much time in an average day they spend walking out of doors (excluding leisure-time walking such as hill-walking, rambling or golf). Respondents are also asked questions about a list of specific physical activities. They are asked if they do these activities in a typical week, how many times, if they put in enough effort to make them sweaty and out of breath, and how long on average they do the activities for on each occasion.
The physical activity module of the questionnaire collects information on the frequency, usual duration and usual intensity of physical activity over the four-week period immediately prior to interview. This allows the calculation of summary measures of physical activity, so that levels of activity can be assessed against recognised guidelines.
The questionnaire asks about four broad types of activity: activity at home (housework, gardening, DIY); walks of 15 minutes or more; sports and exercise activities; and activity at work. For each of these types of activity, questions are asked to establish the frequency, duration and intensity of activity in the four weeks prior to interview.
The survey includes a module of questions on travel and transport. This includes the question:
- How do you usually travel to work (or school/college/university if in full-time education)?
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