NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: health, social sciences, wellness, physical activity

Objective(s): To examine physical activity levels of Canadians that will permit the comparison of activity levels over time, sport participation, physical activity and to examine sport opportunities available in Canadian communities.

Project Description: The 2017-2018 Physical Activity Monitor (PAM), specifically, will examine physical activity levels of Canadians and will permit the comparison of activity levels over time, sport participation, and furthermore will examine physical activity and sport opportunities available in Canadian communities, such as availability, usage, and satisfaction with places to walk or bicycle, trails, green spaces, and other types of facilities to be active. In addition, perceptions of barriers to participation and factors which encourage physical activity will be explored. The PAM provides trendline data to determine whether levels of physical activity and sport participation, as well as factors influencing participation in the Canadian population are increasing, decreasing or staying the same. Ongoing monitoring programs like the PAM also measure whether the activity levels reported by respondents are sufficient for a healthy lifestyle. The 2017-2018 Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) survey will be conducted by telephone. The Physical Activity Monitor survey (PAM) was previously completed in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 2015 and 2017. This current version of the PAM is a repeat of content used in the 2017 PAM Respondents to the PAM will be asked to complete a telephone survey using a structured questionnaire. The telephone interview will take on average 20 minutes to complete. A copy of the questionnaire has been provided with this application. A random telephone sample of about 3,100 participants who are 18 years of age and older, living in the 10 provinces and 3 territories will be asked to compete a telephone survey of approximately 20 minutes duration on average. Approximately 250 interviews will be conducted in the NWT. The survey will be conducted in English or French depending on the preference of the participant. A randomly generated sample of telephone numbers will be used as a surrogate for a list of households. The list of telephone numbers will be produced using modified random digit dialling sample (RDD) procedures. This method ensures that the sample includes both listed and unlisted telephone numbers. Telephone numbers randomly generated in this manner provide greater confidentiality for the respondents than using numbers from a telephone book. Where an address for the telephone number can be obtained the research team will send a letter in advance addressed to the household. The letter will contain information about the anticipated telephone call, contact information for the Principal Investigators (PI’s), a statement that the research has been approved and participation is voluntary, and contact information for York Human Research Participants Committee. The research team will call the selected telephone numbers during the day, evening, and weekends, over each month of the study. About one-fifth of the interviews will be completed on the first telephone call attempt to the households. About 75% of the interviews will be completed after five or fewer telephone call attempts. Telephone numbers that are "never answered" or "always provide a busy signal" will be called many times over the course of the project. If the interviewer reaches a potential respondent at an inconvenient time they will attempt to schedule a "call back" at a time more suitable to the respondent. Most other households that refuse the interview will be contacted a second time to see if, at this later date, they are more interested in completing the survey. Telephone numbers for households that ask to be taken off of the list (or any other mention where a respondent mentions a "do not call list" in Canada) will have their number placed in an inventory of DO NOT CALL numbers. In each household, contacted by interviewers, the respondent is randomly selected from persons 18 and older, residing in the household. The selection of the respondent is made by first determining if an individual 18 years and older has answered the telephone, then determining the total number of family members 18 years and older in the household, then randomly selecting one qualifying respondent from within the household using the Most Recent Birthday method. All reports prepared with data from the Physical Activity Monitor are freely available on the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) website www.cflri.ca. At the completion of the interview all respondents will be told reports are available on the website and will be given the CFLRI website. Respondents who request a copy of the report will be directed to the website. Where an address is available, an advance letter will be sent to households randomly selected to participate in the research. The advance letter provides information about the CFLRI, the website where reports are available, and contact information for the Principal Investigators. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January 25, 2018 to December 31, 2018.