Article: Reliable and valid NEWS for Chinese seniors: Measuring perceived neighborhood attributes related to walking
| Title | Reliable and valid NEWS for Chinese seniors: Measuring perceived neighborhood attributes related to walking |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cerin, E1 Sit, CHP1 Cheung, M2 Ho, S1 Lee, LJ1 Chan, W2 |
| Issue Date | 2010 |
| Publisher | BioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.ijbnpa.org/ |
| Citation | International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition And Physical Activity, 2010, v. 7 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-84 |
| Abstract | The effects of the built environment on walking in seniors have not been studied in an Asian context. To examine these effects, valid and reliable measures are needed. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire of perceived neighborhood characteristics related to walking appropriate for Chinese seniors (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Chinese Seniors, NEWS-CS). It was based on the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale - Abbreviated (NEWS-A), a validated measure of perceived built environment developed in the USA for adults. A secondary study aim was to establish the generalizability of the NEWS-A to an Asian high-density urban context and a different age group.Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of experts adapted the original NEWS-A to reflect the built environment of Hong Kong and needs of seniors. The translated instrument was pre-tested on a sample of 50 Chinese-speaking senior residents (65+ years). The final version of the NEWS-CS was interviewer-administered to 484 seniors residing in four selected Hong Kong districts varying in walkability and socio-economic status. Ninety-two participants completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, 2-3 weeks apart. Test-rest reliability indices were estimated for each item and subscale of the NEWS-CS. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model of the NEWS-CS and cross-validate that of the NEWS-A.Results: The final version of the NEWS-CS consisted of 14 subscales and four single items (76 items). Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC > 50 or % agreement > 60) except for four items measuring distance to destinations. The originally-proposed measurement models of the NEWS-A and NEWS-CS required 2-3 theoretically-justifiable modifications to fit the data well.Conclusions: The NEWS-CS possesses sufficient levels of reliability and factorial validity to be used for measuring perceived neighborhood environment in Chinese seniors. Further work is needed to assess its construct validity and generalizability to other Asian locations. In general, the measurement model of the original NEWS-A was generalizable to this study context, supporting the feasibility of cross-country and age-group comparisons of the effect of the neighborhood environment on walking using the NEWS-A as a tool to measure the perceived built environment. © 2010 Cerin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. |
| ISSN | 1479-5868 2011 Impact Factor: 3.828 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.213 |
| DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-84 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC2999582 |
| References | References in Scopus |
| Grants | Development and validation of measures to study the effects of the built environment on walking in Hong Kong senior residents using a convenience sample |
| dc.contributor.author | Cerin, E | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Sit, CHP | ||||
| dc.contributor.author | Cheung, M | ||||
| dc.contributor.author | Ho, S | ||||
| dc.contributor.author | Lee, LJ | ||||
| dc.contributor.author | Chan, W | ||||
| dc.date.accessioned | 2011-09-23T05:58:38Z | ||||
| dc.date.available | 2011-09-23T05:58:38Z | ||||
| dc.date.issued | 2010 | ||||
| dc.description.abstract | The effects of the built environment on walking in seniors have not been studied in an Asian context. To examine these effects, valid and reliable measures are needed. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire of perceived neighborhood characteristics related to walking appropriate for Chinese seniors (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Chinese Seniors, NEWS-CS). It was based on the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale - Abbreviated (NEWS-A), a validated measure of perceived built environment developed in the USA for adults. A secondary study aim was to establish the generalizability of the NEWS-A to an Asian high-density urban context and a different age group.Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of experts adapted the original NEWS-A to reflect the built environment of Hong Kong and needs of seniors. The translated instrument was pre-tested on a sample of 50 Chinese-speaking senior residents (65+ years). The final version of the NEWS-CS was interviewer-administered to 484 seniors residing in four selected Hong Kong districts varying in walkability and socio-economic status. Ninety-two participants completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, 2-3 weeks apart. Test-rest reliability indices were estimated for each item and subscale of the NEWS-CS. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model of the NEWS-CS and cross-validate that of the NEWS-A.Results: The final version of the NEWS-CS consisted of 14 subscales and four single items (76 items). Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC > 50 or % agreement > 60) except for four items measuring distance to destinations. The originally-proposed measurement models of the NEWS-A and NEWS-CS required 2-3 theoretically-justifiable modifications to fit the data well.Conclusions: The NEWS-CS possesses sufficient levels of reliability and factorial validity to be used for measuring perceived neighborhood environment in Chinese seniors. Further work is needed to assess its construct validity and generalizability to other Asian locations. In general, the measurement model of the original NEWS-A was generalizable to this study context, supporting the feasibility of cross-country and age-group comparisons of the effect of the neighborhood environment on walking using the NEWS-A as a tool to measure the perceived built environment. © 2010 Cerin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. | ||||
| dc.description.grant | Development and validation of measures to study the effects of the built environment on walking in Hong Kong senior residents using a convenience sample | ||||
| dc.description.grantcode | 82653 | ||||
| dc.description.nature | published_or_final_version | ||||
| dc.identifier.citation | International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition And Physical Activity, 2010, v. 7 [How to Cite?] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-84 | ||||
| dc.identifier.citeulike | 8384829 | ||||
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-84 | ||||
| dc.identifier.hkuros | 192940 | ||||
| dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000285083900001
Funding Information: This work was supported by grant no. 04060671 by the Health and Health Service Research Fund (Food and Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, PR of China), for which we are grateful. We would like to thank the staff of the Elderly Health Centres (EHCs) for their patience and assistance which made it possible to successfully complete this project; Shelley Chan and Ping-sum Ng of the EHCs for their invaluable support and help in organizing the data collection; Janice M. Johnston, Duncan J. Macfarlane, Kin-sang Ho, May-ked Tham, and Kee-lee Chou for facilitating the study; students and staff members of the Institute of Human Performance and School of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, including Chun-yip Hung, Chun-keung Tang, Ka-yiu Lee and Yu-yuk Lam who diligently collected the data for this study; and the study participants, members of the EHCs, for their enthusiasm and fabulous support throughout the stages of the project. | ||||
| dc.identifier.issn | 1479-5868 2011 Impact Factor: 3.828 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.213 | ||||
| dc.identifier.pmcid | PMC2999582 | ||||
| dc.identifier.pmid | 21108800 | ||||
| dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-78649330869 | ||||
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/139861 | ||||
| dc.identifier.volume | 7 | ||||
| dc.language | eng | ||||
| dc.publisher | BioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.ijbnpa.org/ | ||||
| dc.publisher.place | United Kingdom | ||||
| dc.relation.ispartof | International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity | ||||
| dc.relation.references | References in Scopus | ||||
| dc.rights | The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Copyright © BioMed Central Ltd. | ||||
| dc.rights | Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License | ||||
| dc.title | Reliable and valid NEWS for Chinese seniors: Measuring perceived neighborhood attributes related to walking | ||||
| dc.type | Article |
Author Affiliations
- The University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Government