Sharing Good News Across the World: Developing Comparable Scores Across 12 Countries for the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS)

Simple item page
aut.relation.startpage309
aut.relation.volume13
aut.researcherHinckson, Erica
dc.contributor.authorCerin, E
dc.contributor.authorConway, TL
dc.contributor.authorCain, KL
dc.contributor.authorKerr, J
dc.contributor.authorDe Bourdeaudhuij, I
dc.contributor.authorOwen, N
dc.contributor.authorReis, RS
dc.contributor.authorSarmiento, OL
dc.contributor.authorHinckson, EA
dc.contributor.authorSalvo, D
dc.contributor.authorChristiansen, LB
dc.contributor.authorMacfarlane, DJ
dc.contributor.authorDavey, R
dc.contributor.authorMitáš, J
dc.contributor.authorAguinaga-Ontoso, I
dc.contributor.authorSallis, JF
dc.date.accessioned2015-01-14T21:59:12Z
dc.date.available2015-01-14T21:59:12Z
dc.date.copyright2013
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstractBackground The IPEN (International Physical Activity and Environment Network) Adult project seeks to conduct pooled analyses of associations of perceived neighborhood environment, as measured by the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated version (NEWS-A), with physical activity using data from 12 countries. As IPEN countries used adapted versions of the NEWS/NEWS-A, this paper aimed to develop scoring protocols that maximize cross-country comparability in responses. This information is also highly relevant to non-IPEN studies employing the NEWS/NEWS-A, which is one of the most popular measures of perceived environment globally. Methods The following countries participated in the IPEN Adult study: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants (N = 14,305) were recruited from neighborhoods varying in walkability and socio-economic status. Countries collected data on the perceived environment using a self- or interviewer-administered version of the NEWS/NEWS-A. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to derive comparable country-specific measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A. The level of correspondence between standard and alternative versions of the NEWS/NEWS-A factor-analyzable subscales was determined by estimating the correlations and mean standardized difference (Cohen’s d) between them using data from countries that had included items from both standard and alternative versions of the subscales. Results Final country-specific measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A provided acceptable levels of fit to the data and shared the same factorial structure with six latent factors and two single items. The correspondence between the standard and alternative versions of subscales of Land use mix – access, Infrastructure and safety for walking/cycling, and Aesthetics was high. The Brazilian version of the Traffic safety subscale was highly, while the Australian and Belgian versions were marginally, comparable to the standard version. Single-item versions of the Street connectivity subscale used in Australia and Belgium showed marginally acceptable correspondence to the standard version. Conclusions We have proposed country-specific modifications to the original scoring protocol of the NEWS/NEWS-A that enhance inter-country comparability. These modifications have yielded sufficiently equivalent measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A. Some inter-country discrepancies remain. These need to be considered when interpreting findings from different countries.
dc.identifier.citationBMC Public Health 2013, 13:309 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-309
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/1471-2458-13-309
dc.identifier.issn1471-2458
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/8308
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltd.
dc.relation.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-309
dc.rightsThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectBuilt environment
dc.subjectQuestionnaire
dc.subjectGlobal
dc.subjectConfirmatory factor analysis
dc.subjectPooled analyses
dc.titleSharing Good News Across the World: Developing Comparable Scores Across 12 Countries for the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS)
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.elements-id142277
pubs.organisational-data/AUT
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Health & Environmental Science
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Sharing good NEWS across the world: developing comparable scores across 12 countries for the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS)..pdf
Size:
264.73 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Journal article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
RE4.10 Grant of Licence.docx
Size:
14.05 KB
Format:
Microsoft Word 2007+
Description:
Download
Collections
School of Sport and Recreation - Te Kura Hākinakina