Scheme for Observing Activity Level: Reliability and Convergent Validity

Abstract

The Scheme for Observing Activity Level (SOAL) is described. Nine mutually exclusive combinations of posture and movement intensity are defined for use in observational studies. Duration of time spent in each category is multiplied by energy expenditure estimates drawn from the empirical literature, and the products are summed to create the SOAL score. Interobserver reliability for the SOAL is evaluated in three studies with preschool children and is found to range from .90 to .94. SOAL scores also converged, as hypothesized, with observer rankings, a mechanical motion recorder measure, and teacher rankings. It is concluded that the SOAL is practical and reliable for use in observational studies that utilize real-time data collection.

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