Chapter 14 CAPS Typical Week Physical Activity Survey

14.1 Background

The Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study (CAPS) Typical Week Physical Activity Survey is designed to identify the time and frequency spent in various activities during a typical week. The participants answers were used to determine is their current activity levels met the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)/American Heart Association (AHA) Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines. The information was used to help the participants improve their activity levels for optimal health.

14.2 CAPS Survey - 30 items

  1. Light Effort: Cooking, cleaning up, laundry, shopping, dusting
  2. Moderate or Vigorous Effort: Scrubbing, vacuuming, repairs, mopping, washing car
  3. Moderate Effort: Weeding, sweeping, mowing, raking
  4. Vigorous Effort: Shoveling, pruning, chopping wood
  5. Light Effort: Bathing, feeding, playing with child or animal
  6. Moderate Effort: Lifting and carrying, pushing wheelchair or stroller
  7. Light Effort: Drive or ride in a car, ride the bus or subway include travel to work
  8. Moderate Effort: Walking to get places, to the bus, car, or work
  9. Moderate Effort: Walking for exercise or social, walking your dog, during work breaks
  10. Moderate Effort: Dancing in church, ceremonies, or for pleasure
  11. Moderate or Vigorous Effort: Sports-golf, soccer, softball, tennis, racquetball, basketball
  12. Moderate Effort: Low impact aerobics, health club machines, bicycling, Tai Chi
  13. Vigorous Effort: Step aerobics, running/jogging, karate, swim training
  14. Light Effort: Stretching and flexibility exercises
  15. Moderate effort: Lifting weights, strength training
  16. Light Effort: Watching TV and doing nothing else
  17. Light Effort: Reading, sewing, or using a computer (not at work)
  18. Do you work to earn money?
  19. How many hours/week do you work to earn money in all jobs?
  20. How many days/week in all jobs?
  21. Light Effort: Sitting (e.g., office/lab work)
  22. Light Effort: Standing (e.g., copy making, assembly, clerking)
  23. Moderate Effort: Standing or walking (nursing, custodial, making deliveries)
  24. Vigorous effort: Manual labor, ranch or farm labor, loading trucks
  25. Do you work as a volunteer in activities you have not mentioned in the survey?
  26. Light Effort: Sitting or standing
  27. Moderate Effort: Standing or walking
  28. Vigorous Effort: Pushing, lifting, carrying, climbing
  29. Light Effort: How many hours do you sleep per night during the week (Monday-Friday)?
  30. Light Effort: How many hours do you sleep per night during the weekend (Saturday - Sunday)?

From the items above based on daily/weekly time and frequencies, the following composite scores were computed:

  • DAYLIVING_TOTAL - Met-minute/day
  • MODERATE_GUIDELINE - was guideline met?
  • MODERATE_GUIDELINE_DAYS - # days/week guideline was met
  • MODERATE_TOTAL - Met-minute/day
  • STRENGTH_GUIDELINE - was guideline met?
  • STRENGTH_GUIDELINE_DAYS - # days/week guideline was met
  • VIGOROUS_GUIDELINE - was guideline met?
  • VIGOROUS_GUIDELINE_DAYS - # days/week guideline was met
  • VIGOROUS_TOTAL - Met-minute/day

NOTE: The participants were told that it is recommended that healthy adults over the age of 18 perform moderately intense cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week or vigorously intense cardiovascular exercise for 20 minutes per day, three days a week and perform strength training exercises twice a week. Examples were provided as follows. Activities of daily living include routine activities which are of light intensity (self care, child care, casual walking, grocery shopping) or more intense activities that are less than 10 minutes in duration (walking to the parking lot, taking out the trash, etc). It is recommended to maintain or increase activities of daily living while minimizing sedentary lifestyle behaviors.

For more information, refer to the publication: “Moderate Physical Activity Patterns of Minority Women: The Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study”; by Barbara E. Ainsworth, Melinda L. Irwin, Cheryl L. Addy, Melicia C. Whitt, and Lisa M. Stolarczyk. Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine. July 2004, 8(6): 805-813. https://doi.org/10.1089/152460999319129.