Assessing physical activity provides the opportunity to measure  general health and well being.

Download the variety of tools for assessing physical activity on this page.

Physical Activity assessments are numerous and needed to indicate the effectiveness of interventions or programs.  The list below was originally compiled for Physical Education for Progress Grants.  Select from the list below when measuring physical activity program interventions.

Assessing PA

The School Health Index (SHI)

Self-Assessment & Planning Guide 2014 is an online self physical activity assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. It’s easy to use and completely confidential.   http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/shi/index.htm

SHI for Elementary School Download

SHI for Middle & High School Download

Assessing PA

SOPLAY: System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth

Thom McKenzie, Ph.D.

SOPLAY is a validated tool for directly observing and assessing physical activity and associated environmental characteristics in free play settings (e.g., recess and lunch at school). SOPLAY provides objective data on the number of participants and their physical activity levels during play and leisure opportunities in targeted areas. Separate scans are made for males and females, and simultaneous entries for contextual characteristics of areas including their accessibility, usability, and whether or not supervision, organized activities, and equipment are provided. The predominant type of activity engaged in by area users is also recorded (e.g., basketball, dance). A free 27 minute SOPLAY/SOPARC Introduction, Practice, and Assessment Training DVD is available from Active Living Research.

Active Living Research Website

Active Living Research Parks Assessment

Activity Living Research & Recreation Assessment

Active Living Research- School Age Youth K-12 Assessment

Active Living Research SOPLAY Observation Form

Active Living Research SOPARC-SOPLAY TRAINERS Download

SOPLAY/SOPARC Mapping Strategies Download

Assessing PA

Physical Activity Evaluation Handbook

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC

Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity CDC

Recognition of the importance of physical activity has reached a new height in America. In fact, physical activity was recently named as one of the 10 leading health indicators in Healthy People 2010.1 Consequently, the imperative to evaluate our physical activity programs is greater than ever.

DOWNLOAD Physical Activity Evaluation Handbook

Assessing PA

Fact Sheet for Health Professionals on
Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

CDC

The physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 focuses on three types of activity: aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening. Each type has important health benefits.  This documents provides targets to aim for in your data gathering process for gathering physical activity data.

DOWNLOAD Physical Activity Guidelines

Assessing PA

PA Resource Center for Public Health

This project was sponsored by funding from the United States Air Force administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity.

Check out the PA Assessment Section of this website for assessment tools.http://www.parcph.org/

Since the original publication of the MSSE supplement, the demand for current physical activity assessment and intervention information has increased due to overwhelming growth in the area of physical activity and lifestyle intervention efforts. Thus the birth of the Physical Activity Resource Center for Public Health (PARC-PH).

The PARC-PH was developed in order to satisfy the need for a comprehensive center that can provide up–to-date physical activity and, more recently physical function, assessment and intervention information as well as guidance to interested researchers and community members. It is our mission to support you in your physical activity, physical function, and lifestyle promotion efforts whether as part of a research or community intervention.

Assessing PA

PASS

Active Living Research- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

PASS is a free, user-friendly, web-based, 8-item physical activity assesssment tool that assesses and increases awareness of evidence-based physical activity practices at elementary schools.

More information on this resource can be found here:  http://activelivingresearch.org/physical-activity-school-score-pass

PASS increases awareness of evidence-based PA practices (e.g., PE, recess, activity breaks, active transport). We reviewed evidence-based literature, created PASS, revised it on reviews of teachers and administrators, and developed an on-line version.



Related article on Physical Activity in Schools

Benefits of Physical Activity in Schools

School Playground Stencils

Low Cost High Activity Playgrounds

School Playground Grants

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