Reliability and validity of the system for observing children\u27s activity and relationships during play (SOCARP)

Abstract

Background: Children frequently engage in diverse activities that are broadly defined as play, but little research has documented children&rsquo;s activity levels during play and how they are influenced by social contexts. Assessing potentially modifiable conditions that influence play behavior is needed to design optimal physical activity interventions. Methods: System for Observing Children&rsquo;s Activity and Relationships during Play (SOCARP) was developed to simultaneously assess children&rsquo;s physical activity, social group sizes, activity type, and social behavior during play. One hundred and fourteen children (48 boys, 66 girls; 42% overweight) from 8 elementary schools were observed during recess over 24 days, with 12 days videotaped for reliability purposes. Ninety-nine children wore a uni-axial accelerometer during their observation period. Results: Estimated energy expenditure rates from SOCARP observations and mean accelerometer counts were significantly correlated (r = .67; P &lt; .01), and interobserver reliabilities (ie, percentage agreement) for activity level (89%), group size (88%), activity type (90%) and interactions (88%) met acceptable criteria. Both physical activity and social interactions were influenced by group size, activity type, and child gender and body weight status. Conclusions: SOCARP is a valid and reliable observation system for assessing physical activity and play behavior in a recess context.<br /