7:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Workshop 1

Physical Activity Assessment Methods Using Accelerometers, Rick Troiano, PhD

This session addressed factors to consider when using accelerometers to measure physical activity in research studies. Topics included device selection, logistical concerns such as distribution and return, and data reduction. Recommendations from a recent workshop on accelerometry were presented as well as examples from experience with accelerometer use in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

7:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Workshop 2

Part A: The Built Environment Indices and Creation of the Environmental Index, Daniel Rodriguez, PhD and Lawrence Frank, PhD

The first presentation in this workshop has two aims. First, to compare ways of measuring land use mix. Second, to provide examples of the construction of indices to identify built environments believed to support walking activity. Such examples cover the use of aggregate data, such as data from the US census, to disaggregate data such as parcel-specific information.

Part B: The Common Definitions of GIS-based Land Use Variables, Ann Forsyth, PhD

The second presentation was a working session for those involved with environmental measurement using GIS. The workshop aimed to further collaborative efforts between different research teams. Such collaborations have been hampered by differences in environmental variables. The session examined several models for precisely defining key variables, accurately documenting measurement approaches, and dealing with inconsistent data. It aimed to further the process of documenting and sharing environmental measures to enable replication and meta-analysis.