title: Using an audit tool (MAPS Global) to assess the characteristics of the physical environment related to walking for transport in youth: reliability of Belgian data.
abstract: The aim was to examine inter-rater and alternate-form reliability of the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS) Global tool to assess the physical environment along likely walking routes in Belgium.
  
  
  
  For 65 children participating in the BEPAS-children study, routes between their individual homes and the nearest pre-defined destination were defined. Using MAPS Global, physical environmental characteristics of the routes were audited by 4 trained auditors (2 on-site, 2 online using Google Street View). Inter-rater reliability was studied for on-site and online ratings separately. Alternate-form reliability was examined by comparing on-site with online ratings.
  
  
  
  Inter-rater reliability for on-site ratings was acceptable for 68% of items (kappa range 0.03-1.00) and for online ratings for 60% of items (kappa range -0.03 to 1.00). Acceptable alternate-form reliability was reported for 60% of items (kappa range -0.01 to 1.00/r range 0.31-1.00).
  
  
  
  MAPS Global can be used to assess the physical environment of potential walking routes. For areas where Google Street View imagery is widely covered and often updated, MAPS Global can be completed online.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Griet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanwolleghem
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.|Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghekiere
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Greet.Cardon@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardon
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Haese
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 3900 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
authors.forename: Carrie M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Geremia
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenoir
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 3900 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sallis
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4K3, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Delfien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Dyck
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D004779:Environment Design; D006801:Humans; D008377:Maps as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057386:Search Engine; D016138:Walking
keywords: Active transport; Built environment; Children; Google street view; Physical activity; Walking for transport; Walking routes