title: Development and testing of mobile technology for community park improvements: validity and reliability of the eCPAT application with youth.
abstract: Creation of mobile technology environmental audit tools can provide a more interactive way for youth to engage with communities and facilitate participation in health promotion efforts. This study describes the development and validity and reliability testing of an electronic version of the Community Park Audit Tool (eCPAT). eCPAT consists of 149 items and incorporates a variety of technology benefits. Criterion-related validity and inter-rater reliability were evaluated using data from 52 youth across 47 parks in Greenville County, SC. A large portion of items (>70 %) demonstrated either fair or moderate to perfect validity and reliability. All but six items demonstrated excellent percent agreement. The eCPAT app is a user-friendly tool that provides a comprehensive assessment of park environments. Given the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices among both adolescents and adults, the eCPAT app has potential to be distributed and used widely for a variety of health promotion purposes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Digital Health Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA. gbesenyi@gru.edu.
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Besenyi
authors.affiliation: Integrated Information Technology, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.affiliation: Integrated Information Technology, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schooley
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Brie M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Turner-McGrievy
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.|Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.affiliation: Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Sonja A Wilhelm
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stanis
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.|Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Kaczynski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013672:Technology / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Audit; Engagement; Environment; Parks; Technology; Youth; eCPAT