Continuing BEAT Education
These materials are meant to be used for education and training purposes, and we welcome their use as part of other taught courses on public health, the built environment, and environmental assessment. Contact us if you are interested in incorporating this module into teaching or training.
Module Resources & Further Reading
SOPARC: Protocols, Tools, and Guides
- Active Leaving Research: SOPARC Description and Procedures Manual – A robust guide for SOPARC including further instructions on how to use the tool.
- RAND Corporation SOPARC Online App User Guide – The RAND Corporation provides a user guide for the SOPARC online app.
- National Recreation and Park Association: SOPARC Report – This report highlights the necessity of physical activity on health, examples of SOPARC findings, and validation studies demonstrating reliability and validity.
- iSOPARC for iPAD – An app created by researchers from Porto, Portugal to assist with SOPARC data collection.
Using SOPARC in the Field
- Physical Activity and Food Environment Assessments – This paper describes a case study with SOPARC and further discussions on how assessments of the physical activity and nutrition environment can provide important indicators on community health.
- Eyler AA, Blanck HM, Gittelsohn J, Karpyn A, McKenzie TL, Partington S, Slater SJ, Winters M. Physical activity and food environment assessments: implications for practice. Am J Prev Med. 2015 May;48(5):639-45. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.10.008. PMID: 25891064.
SOFIT: Protocols, Tools, and Guides
- Active Living Research: SOFIT Description and Procedures Manual – A robust guide for SOFIT, including further instructions on how to use the tool.
- The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) as a Measure of Energy Expenditure During Classroom-Based Physical Activity – This study investigates classroom-based physical activity using SOFIT to measures physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) during classroom activity.
Direct Observation to Measure Health Behavior
- Technologies to Measure and Modify Physical Activity and Eating Environments – The purpose of this paper is to highlight current and emerging trends in health behavior relevant built environment assessment and intervention, that includes both SOFIT and SOPARC tools.
- King AC, Glanz K, Patrick K. Technologies to measure and modify physical activity and eating environments. Am J Prev Med. 2015 May;48(5):630-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.10.005. PMID: 25891063; PMCID: PMC7155784.