Validation Studies of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)-walking questions

• Rauh et al. 1992
• Hovell et al. 1992
• Weiss et al. 1990

Rauh et al. 1992

See reference #12

Methods

Relationship between items on the NHIS Walking items and Caltrac (Pearson correlations)

Sample

45 Latino (Spanish/English-speaking) adults, 53% male; mean age 33 years

Summary Results

NHIS walking	0.33

p < 0.05

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Hovell et al. 1992

See reference #46

Methods

Relationship of the level of change in walking for exercise (walking measured by two items from NHIS: “How many times in the past two weeks did you walk for exercise?” and “About how many minutes did you do the activity each times?”) collected twice over two years, and independent variables measuring “Change in Self-efficacy” (correlation coefficients)

Sample

1,701 adults, 58% male, 88% Caucasian; 48.25 ± 18.08 years of age

Summary Results

Significant coefficients for dynamic correlates of Walking for Exercise

	B	p<
Change in Family Support	.131	.0001
Change in Vigorous PA	.084	.0009
Change in Heart Healthy Diet	.074	.003
Change in Self-efficacy	.069	.008
Change in Friend Support	.131	.0001
Change in Cigarette Smoking	-.060	.013

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Weiss et al. 1990

See reference #47

Methods

Relationships between NHIS calculated EE and individual questions from the 1985 supplement (Spearman correlations)

Sample

11,653-32,822 Men and women in the NHIS cohort: aged at least 18 years

Summary Results

Activity compared to peers-3 levels (n=32,822)	0.28*
Activity compared to peers-5 levels (n=32,415)	0.29*
Job-related activity (20,789)	-0.02*
Main daily activity (11,653)	0.22*

* p < 0.05

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