Interviews Define Face Validity of Physical Activity Survey Items with Fourth Grader

School-based and after school interventions to encourage child participation in physical activity use self-report surveys, among other methods, to assess level of physical activity. The current study investigated the face validity of nine physical activity self-report items used to evaluate the Fuel for Fun program, a nutrition and physical activity intervention for fourth graders administered in Colorado. A convenience sample of fourth graders demographically similar to Fuel for Fun participants in Colorado were cognitively interviewed to examine understanding and comprehension of survey items. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts revealed that 87.5% to 100% of students reported understanding the items and 50% to 92% provided responses congruent to reference definitions. Physical activity examples included in the items aided comprehension when students had vocabulary or reading issues. Minor revisions were suggested to mitigate vocabulary and format issues. Results supported face validity of the instrument with this sample.