1. Page 13

2. Thinking Things Through
Complete questions 1-5 page 13 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.

4. Dimensions of Physical Activity
Frequency – Number of times a person engages in an activity
Duration – Length of time engaged in an activity
Intensity – How hard an activity is
Type – Domains
Context – Where you are, when, who with etc.
Energy – Measured in METs
Expense – Cost in dollars
Reactivity – How much the measure biases towards the result.

5. Subjective Measures
Examples of subjective (remembering physical activity done) are self-reported recall measures, diaries and logs. Eg. Active Australia Survey and IPAQ.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Assess multiple domains
Can be quickly administered to large groups
Low reliability and validity
Social biases in answers given
Poor recall skills in children

6. Objective Measures Direct Observation
Direct Observation – Involves watching people and noting specific behaviours and activities they are participating in. Commonly used on children while playing.
Advantages
Quantitative and qualitative information
Behaviour observed
Wider variety of information gained
Software available
Used in school and community settings
Disadvantages
Difficult with large populations
Obtrusive and time consuming
Can cause bias

7. Objective Measures - SOPLAY
System of Observing Play and Leisure in Youth (SOPLAY)
Used to asses groups of people (Commonly school settings).
Uses a time-sampling technique in a given target area.

9. Objective Measures – SOFIT and BEACHES
SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time)
Measures physical activity during PE classes
Content and behaviour is observed (See graph)
BEACHES (Behaviours of Eating Activity for Children’s Health Evaluation System)
Measures children’ eating and physical activity patterns at home and at school.

10. Student Activity
Complete the student activity on page 21 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.

11. Measurement Options – Direct Observation

12. Objective Measures HR Monitors
HR monitors measure our hearts response to exercise intensity and energy expenditure.
HR is very useful in the laboratory and in sports training. Is unobtrusive and gives quick data collection.
However, HR is not influenced by intensity alone. There is also a lag between HR change and intensity.

13. Measurement Options – HR monitors
Advantages
Disadvantages

14. Measurement Options - Pedometers
Advantages
Disadvantages

15. Accelerometers
Advantages
Disadvantages
See fig.1.20 p.32

17. Objective Measures Doubly Labelled Water
A form of indirect calorimetry based on the elimination of deuterium and oxygen (18) from urine
The doubly labeled water technique measures the turnover of hydrogen and oxygen into water and carbon dioxide
Energy expenditure is calculated from the difference.
This method of determining energy expenditure is useful because it enables researchers to measure total carbon dioxide production over a long period of time—from five to 20 days—and yet only requires periodic sampling of urine.
People being tested can continue their normal routines because the method does not require special arrangements or devices.

18. Doubly labelled Water Disadvantages Advantages
Extremely expensive, around $2000 per person per test.
Doesn’t provide any information relating to activity type, frequency, intensity or duration.
Doesn’t provide any contextual information (settings where someone is being active) about the physical activity behaviour of an individual.
Advantages
Unobtrusive and non invasive.
Accurately measures total energy expenditure related to physical activity over a one or two week period.
Allows for the calculation of VO2
Can be used with any age group.

19. Summary: Methods of Measuring Physical Activity

20. Chapter Summary Read the 10 points on Page 38.
If there is any point you are unclear of: STOP: Ask a question or Read again

21. Review Questions
Complete the review questions 1-8 on page 39 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.

22. VCAA Questions

23. VCAA Questions

24. VCAA Questions

25. VCAA Questions 2007 Question 3
Which method would best assess whether a 7-year-old child is meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines
for children aged 5.12 years?
A. self report
B. accelerometry
C. pedometry
D. diaries

26. VCAA Questions 2007 Question 2
Pedometers are a cost-effective way to measure people's physical activity by counting steps per day.
a. Explain why pedometers are a powerful behaviour change tool and an effective strategy within a community basedphysical activity program.
2 marks
b. Give two limitations of using pedometry to assess physical activity. 1. 2.

27. VCAA Questions 2007 Question 18
Mr. Jacobs is a primary school principal interested in increasing the level of physical activity of his students
during recess and lunchtime.
a. Identify an appropriate measure to assess the context and types of physical activities children engage in during school recess and lunch breaks.
1 mark
b. Other than the cost, justify why Mr. Jacobs would have selected the measure identified in part a. over the use of heart-rate telemetry for use with children.
2 marks
c. How can a researcher reduce the reactivity associated with the use of the measure given in part a. to assess children's physical activity during lunchtime?
Total 4 marks

28. VCAA Questions 2008 Question 2
Which of the following methods can be used to assess physical activity levels within a given population?
A. heart rate telemetry, accelerometry, pedometry
B. accelerometry, maximum bench press, beep test
C. heart rate telemetry, beep test, pedometry
D. pedometry, phosphate recovery, heart rate telemetry
Question 8
The National Physical Activity Guidelines are the minimum recommendations by health authorities to
A. achieve health benefits for the population.
B. increase physical activity levels within the population across all domains.
C. gain high levels of fitness within the general population.
D. reduce weight and levels of obesity within the population.

29. VCAA Questions 2008
Heart-rate monitors provide an indirect measure of physical activity and are widely used in monitoring fitness
levels.
d. Other than cost, provide one advantage and one disadvantage associated with the use of heart-rate monitors.
Advantage Disadvantage
2 marks

30. VCAA Questions 2009 Question 3
The National Physical Activity Guidelines (NPAG) for children state that
A. children should do at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity on most (preferably all) days and should not use electronic media for entertainment for more than two hours per day.
B. children should participate in 100 minutes of sport and physical activity each week and should not use electronic media for entertainment for more than two hours per day.
C. children should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day and should not use electronic media for entertainment for more than two hours per day.
D. children should do at least 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity five days a week and should not use electronic media for entertainment for more than two hours per day.

31. VCAA Questions 2009 Question 4
The Australian Department of Health and Ageing has produced a set of NPAG about the minimum amount of physical activity required to maintain good health. There are four guidelines for better health for Australian adults.
A clear example of the second guideline – ‘Be active every day in as many ways as you can’ would be
A. enjoying some regular, vigorous activity.
B. using active transport and doing things yourself instead of using labour-saving machines.
C. seeing movement of the body as an opportunity for improving health, not as a time-wasting inconvenience.
D. accumulating 30 minutes (or more) of physical activity throughout the day by combining a few shorter sessions of activity.

32. VCAA Questions 2009 Question 9
A 12-year-old child completed a self-report log and wore an accelerometer to measure physical activity levelsfor one week.
a. Which method of assessing the child’s physical activity levels would provide more accurate data?
1 mark
b. Compare the two methods. You must discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method in your answer.
4 marks
Objective methods of measuring physical activity can be more reactive than subjective methods.
c. Identify two objective methods of measuring physical activity and explain how you could reduce the reactivity of the methods you have chosen.
Method 1
Method 2

33. VCAA Questions 2010 Question 1
Which statement about accelerometers as a tool for measuring physical activity is true?
A. Accelerometers are a subjective measure of physical activity.
B. There is no reactivity associated with the use of accelerometers.
C. The accelerometer measurement data is provided in beats per minute (bpm).
D. Accelerometers are an appropriate choice to measure physical activity levels in children.

34. VCAA Questions 2010
The Australian Government has published The National Physical Activity Guidelines for adults.
b. i. List the four guidelines. 4 marks 1. 2. 3. 4.
ii. Select one of the guidelines and outline a practical way that it could be implemented. 1 mark
4 + 1 = 5 marks

35. Web Links – Chapter 1
Australian government physical activity recommendations for children and young people:
Children’s leisure activities report (Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research – Deakin University):
Australian Sports Commission:
VicHealth (The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation):
Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals – Introduction (Centre for disease control and prevention (USA):
Strategic Inter-Governmental Forum on Physical Activity and Health (SIGPAH):
Sport and Recreation Australia:
Australian Sports Commission:
Find 30 promotion (Government of WA Department of Health):
Walking School Bus promotion (UK):
Ministry of Health (New Zealand) toolkits:
The 10,000 Steps Rockhampton project:
Travelsmart Australia:
World Health Organisation:
Heart Foundation Australia:
VicHealth (The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation):
Be Active promotion (Government of South Australia):
Go For Your Life:
Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals – Introduction (Centre for disease control and prevention – USA):
Health Promotion (Public Health Agency of Canada):
Strategic Inter-Governmental Forum on Physical Activity and Health (SIGPAH):
Healthy youth (Centre for disease control and prevention (USA):
America On The Move promotion:
Papers from the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity:
Department of health and aging (Australian government):
Building a healthy, active Australia (Australian government):
National Public Health Partnership:
Sport and Recreation Australia: