Table of Contents
Background:
The Twin Cities Walking Survey was developed for a Round 2 Active Living Research grant in St. Paul, Minnesota, for which Ann Forsyth is the principal investigator. At the 2004 ALR conference, all round 2 grantees with projects focused on community and correlates of physical activity gathered for a meeting to discuss common measures. The Twin Cities Walking Study is the result of that discussion. Ann Forsyth’s crew led the effort to compile this instrument mostly because they were the first in the field. It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete the survey as an interview. Pilot testing with 40 racially diverse volunteers in Minnesota indicated that most sections take less than 3 minutes to complete, with a few notable exceptions such as the IPAQ and demographics sections.
Psychometrics:
Data on the survey’s test-retest reliability have been presented (Forsyth, Oakes, & Schmitz, 2009).
Author of Tool:
Kathryn H. Schmitz
Key references:
Oakes, J. M., Forsyth, A., & Schmitz, K. H. (2007). The effects of neighborhood density and street connectivity on walking behavior: the Twin Cities walking study. Epidemiologic perspectives innovations EPI, 4(4), 16.
Forsyth, A., Oakes, J. M., & Schmitz, K. H. (2009). Test-retest reliability of the Twin Cities Walking Survey. Journal of physical activity health, 6(1), 119-131.
Oakes, J. M., Forsyth, A., Hearst, M. O., & Schmitz, K. H. (2008). Recruiting Participants for Neighborhood Effects Research: Strategies and Outcomes of the Twin Cities Walking Study. Environment And Behavior, 41(6), 787-805.
Primary use / Purpose:
The Twin Cities Walking Survey is a compilation of measures used to assess several environmental and social factors related to physical activity, including quality of life, perceptions of neighbourhood environment (crime, social support), demographics, retail environment, and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Files:
Twin Cities Walking Study
Other Information:
The survey is a compilation of measures using different Likert-type scales. The survey takes about an hour and a half to complete.