title: Reliability and validity of an adapted version of the ALPHA environmental questionnaire on physical activity in Spanish youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies suggest that the physical environment is associated with youth physical activity levels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed at assessing the reliability and validity of an adapted version of the ALPHA environmental questionnaire (short version) to adults for application with Spanish youth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The reliability was evaluated in a sample (n = 190, 80 girls, 14.08 ± 1.38 years) using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Weighted kappa. In other sample (n = 140, 61 girls, 13.03 ± 1.40 years) the validity was assessed using the Spearman correlation (rho) for its association with self-reported and objective (accelerometers) physical activity (PA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The test-retest reliability showed ICC = 0.69 for the total questionnaire score, ranging from k = 0.42 to 0.77 for individual items. The total score showed significant correlations with PA reported by PACE questionnaire (rho = 0.18, p = 0.040), the Finnish Physical Activity Index (rho = 0.26, p = 0.002) and active commuting for girls (rho = 0.34, p = 0.010), as well as vigorous PA measured by accelerometry (rho = 0.18, p = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The adapted version of the ALPHA environmental questionnaire has moderate to good reliability and acceptable validity to assess environmental factors that may influence PA in youth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. laura.garciac@uam.es.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Cervantes
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. d.martinez@uam.es.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez-Gomez
authors.affiliation: INEF, Universidad Politécnica, Madrid.. gabriel.rodriguez@upm.es.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Romo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. veronica.cabanas@uam.es.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cabanas-Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid. Spain.. amarcos@if.csic.es.
authors.forename: Ascension
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid.. oscar.veiga@uam.es.
authors.forename: Oscar Luis
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Veiga
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires