USC Prevention Research Center :: PA Materials Review Tool

921 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29208

p: 803.777.4253
f: 803.777.9007
e: uscprc@gwm.sc.edu

SECTION 1:
Appropriate Target Audience for this Material

Title of Material:

Intended Target Audience:

Check ALL populations you feel this material is appropriate for:

male female

children adolescents adults older adults

multiethnic; or Caucasian African-American
Hispanic-Latino Asian Unknown

Target population(s):

parents students sedentary individuals initiating exercise disabled

worksite other:

Focus of the Material:

As this review is designed to rate how effective materials are in promoting physical activity, it is important to identify whether the material is promoting the "Current Physical Activity Message" in a comprehensive manner or by targeting specific portions of the message such as the populations of adolescents, people initiating exercise programs and/or modes of exercise such as walking.

Does this educational material appear to be intentionally promoting the current public health physical activity message in a:

comprehensive manner

specific manner

If so, what specific portion(s) appear to be targeted?

As you provide your ratings for the remaining sections of this review, please keep in mind both the appropriate Target Populations and the Focus of the physical activity promotion material.

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SECTION 2:
Extent to Which the Most Current Physical Activity Message is Reflected

A. The level of physical activity being suggested should include:

Most days of the week(5+), if not more.(3+ in adolescents)
Accumulation of at least 30 minutes which may be done in one session or periodically throughout the day.(at least 20 min per session in adolescents)
Moderate intensity; that involves activities such as biking, brisk walking, pushing a cart or stroller, which result in increased breathing and/or sweating. (moderate to vigorous intensity in adolescents)
With adolescents, activities should be part of games, sports, play, physical education, etc. and in the context of family, school and community activities.

Level of Physical Activity Being Suggested:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

B. Promotion of lifelong physical activity should reflect issues such as:

Including fun and enjoyable activities
Being progressive in nature; especially for individuals just starting out
Performing a variety of different activities
Decreasing sedentary activities such as TV watching and driving car
Involving encouragement or increased confidence in one's ability to be active

Promotion of Lifelong Physical Activity:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

C. Material should address special populations in the U.S. such as:

Socioeconomically disadvantaged
Less educated
Persons with disabilities
Older adults
Sedentary individuals who are initiating an exercise program

Addresses Special US Populations:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

OVERALL REFLECTIONS OF THE PA MESSAGE:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

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SECTION 3:
Organization of the Physical Activity Message

A. Clarity of Physical Activity Message

There should be no more than 3-4 main points
The main message should be visually clear at first glance
The message should not be too conceptually difficult
The message should be culturally relevant

Clarity of the Physical Activity Message:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

B. Writing style

The writing style should be clear and easy to read
The writing style should not be too dense in content or text

Writing Style:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

C. Layout of physical activity message

There should be a good balance on the pages between educational illustrations and written text
The message should be visually easy to follow through formatting techniques such as:
- < 52 letters per line of text
- Subheadings
- Italics
- Bold text

Layout of Physical Activity Message:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

OVERALL REFLECTIONS OF THE MESSAGE ORGANIZATION:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

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SECTION 4:
Appearance and Appeal of the Text and Illustrations

A. General aesthetics

Good contrast/balance between ink and paper
Print size and text style are appealing to the eye
Material utilizes color print as well as black and white

General Aesthetics:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

B. Graphs, Pictures, and Illustrations

These should be clear and easy to follow
They should be free of extraneous data

Graphs, Pictures, and Illustrations:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

C. Readability

Vocabulary difficulty (harder words should be clearly defined at the beginning of the material/text)
The average sentence length should not be too long
Reading level should be at a 4th-6th grade level or less for the general U.S. adult population (see below for reading level)

Reading level for this material:
th grade ( ± 1.5 grades)

Note: Read our document on assessing the reading level.

Readability:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

OVERALL REFLECTION OF THE APPEARANCE AND APPEAL OF THE TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS:
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

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SECTION 5:
General Summary and Comments

For this section please:

Transfer your "Overall Ratings" from sections 1-4 into the appropriate boxes below.
Complete the "Overall Rating of Physical Activity Material" based on your review and general impressions of the effectiveness of this material in promoting physical activity.

General Summary: Review of Physical Activity Material

Review Section 1 Rating

Intended Focus of the Material with Regard to "The Public Health Physical Activity Message"
Comprehensive
Specific Portions

Review Section 2 Rating

Extent to Which the Physical Activity Message was Reflected
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

Review Section 3 Rating

Organization of the Physical Activity Message
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

Review Section 4 Rating

Appearance and Appeal of the Text and Illustrations
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

OVERALL RATING OF THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MATERIAL
Excellent
Good
Adequate
Inadequate
Unacceptable

If you were a member of the population for which this material appears to be intended would you feel moved towards attaining the public health physical activity message? Yes No

General impression/highlight statement of the physical activity material for future reference.

If you would like a copy of your review you can print it at this time by clicking the FILE-PRINT button on your menu bar!

You may also download a blank copy of this Review Tool in PDF format*.

* Note: To view the documents in PDF format, you will need to have Adobe Reader. You may download this program free of charge from Adobe.

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