Measurement Tools

Obesity-related behaviour assessment tools

Poor diet, inadequate sleep and insufficient activity are key obesity-related behaviours, even among infants and young children. Quick and robust measurement of lifestyle behaviours in young children is needed for monitoring population trends and evaluating early obesity prevention programs. However, there are no brief tools available that both accurately and reliably measure diet, physical activity, screen time and sleep in children under five that are feasible for use in policy and practice settings.

The previous EPOCH CRE Stream 2 team have developed a suite of brief tools (<5 minutes to complete), that measure diet, physical activity, screen time and sleep of children under five years.

• The brief tools ask parents to report how frequently over the past week their child has consumed a range of foods and drinks, performed a range of activities, used screens and their child’s sleep patterns.
• The tools are designed to be completed by parents, and can be used by policymakers, researchers, and healthcare practitioners.

Online Tools