Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 18;22(1):34.
doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01728-5.

Definitions of determinants of physical activity behaviour: process and outcome of consensus from the DE-PASS expert group

Jan Dygrýn  1 , Javier Brazo-Sayavera  2 , Joana Cruz  3 , Mekdes Kebede Gebremariam  4   5 , José Carlos Ribeiro  6   7 , Laura Capranica  8 , Ciaran MacDonncha  9 , Yael Netz  10   11
Affiliations

Definitions of determinants of physical activity behaviour: process and outcome of consensus from the DE-PASS expert group

Jan Dygrýn et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: Despite extensive research on physical activity behaviour (PAB), consensus is lacking on related terms and definitions, thereby hindering the ability to compare findings between studies and to develop reliable assessment tools. This study therefore aimed to establish consensus on the definitions of key PAB determinants.

Methods: First, an international expert steering committee was established, comprising members of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action "DEterminants of Physical ActivitieS in Settings" (DE-PASS). Recently published review-level studies were used to identify key determinants of PAB. Two independent reviewers systematically reviewed the literature to catalogue the range of definitions used for key determinants of PAB (steps 1-2). A two-round modified Delphi survey was conducted online from February to September 2023, to determine the optimal definition for each determinant. In round 1, experts selected the most suitable definition for each of the 41 initially identified determinants. In round 2, experts ranked the appropriateness of the definition selected from round 1 on a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined a priori as ≥ 75% agreement on the definition (i.e., ratings of ≥ 4 points). A professional English language expert ensured concise, coherent wording and high-quality editing of the definitions (steps 3-6).

Results: Eighty-five experts in PAB research participated in round 1, and sixty-nine experts in round 2. Consensus of definitions was achieved for 39 of the 41 determinants (88.4%-98.6% agreement). The consensus threshold was not achieved for two determinants: genetic profile and regulation (69.6%) and backyard access/size (73.9%).

Conclusions: The findings of this study offer a consensus-based set of definitions for 39 key determinants of PAB. These definitions can be used homogenously in academic research on physical activity.

Keywords: Active lifestyle; Consensus; Delphi method; Health; Movement behaviour; Settings.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This work was conducted by Work Group 3 of the Determinants of Physical Activity in Settings (DE-PASS) COST Action. All experts who contributed to the consensus process in this study are members of this work group in this COST Action. These experts were provided with detailed information about the study in both steps. Informed participant consent was implied by participation in the consensus process. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of the preliminary work (Phase 1) and the modified Delphi study (Phase 2)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Morales JS, Alberquilla del Río E, Valenzuela PL, Martínez-de-Quel Ó. Physical activity and cognitive performance in early childhood: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sports Medicine. 2024;54:1835–50. - PubMed
    1. Bermejo-Cantarero A, Sánchez-López M, Álvarez-Bueno C, Redondo-Tébar A, García-Hermoso A, Martínez-Vizcaino V. Are physical activity interventions effective in improving health-related quality of life in children and adolescents? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2023;16:877–85. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Ballin M, Bassett DR, Buford TW, Carnethon MR, et al. Prospective association of daily steps with cardiovascular disease: A harmonized meta-analysis. Circulation. 2023;147:122–31. - PMC - PubMed
    1. De Craemer M, Chastin S, Ahrens W, Bernaards C, Brug J, Buck C, et al. Data on determinants are needed to curb the sedentary epidemic in Europe. Lessons learnt from the DEDIPAC European knowledge hub. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15:1406. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reilly JJ, Barnes J, Gonzalez S, Huang WY, Manyanga T, Tanaka C, et al. Recent secular trends in child and adolescent physical activity and sedentary behavior internationally: Analyses of Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Global Matrices 1.0 to 4.0. J Phys Act Health. 2022;19:729–36. - PubMed