DE-PASS Virtual Mobility Experience from Grant Period 2 – Screening scientific documents for definition of the determinants of physical activity that require consensus definition

By: Jan Dygrýn
DE-PASS Member and VM Grant Awardee
Palacký University Olomouc
Czechia

DE-PASS Virtual Mobility Experience from Grant Period 2 – Screening scientific documents for definition of the determinants of physical activity that require consensus definition

Last year, as a member of WG3, I had the unique opportunity to participate in a “Virtual Mobility” (VM) Grant on the topic of screening of scientific documents for definition of the determinants that require consensus definition in the Socio-cultural and Environmental categories.   Key tasks included the preparation and distribution of online surveys to establish consensus, data collection and analysis.  The most essential part of our work was the systematic search of existing definitions of the determinants of physical activity in the scientific articles using various databases such as Pubmed, OVID, and Google Scholar, as well as subject-specific dictionaries like MeSH – Cochrane Library, MedlinePlus, and APA Dictionary of Psychology. The aim was to develop a conceptual model that would help us establish a consensus on the most appropriate definitions for each determinant.

Dr. Javier Brazo-Sayavera from Spain worked on a similar challenge focusing on “Individual-Biological/Psychological determinants,” while our Virtual Mobility was expertly supervised by Dr. Yael Netz, who is the WG 3.3 leader.

The process was not without its challenges.  While some determinants like “neighbourhood characteristics” and “companionship” had several definitions from various scientific fields and sources, others like “Physical Activity Behaviours (PABS) history and patterns” or “PA provision and ethos in setting” had no clear definition. In keeping with the conceptual model, we selected three suitable definitions for each determinant from the extracted definitions.  This selection was carried out (survey #1) by the members of the international and gender-balanced WG3.3 Core Team.  We later conducted survey #2 among the members of WG 3.3 to determine the best definition from the three available ones.

The experience was a tremendous learning opportunity and one that I am proud to have been a part of. The creation of the search strategy and online surveys was a complex and sometimes challenging undertaking, but in any case, I am proud to have been part of this process.

For those interested in undertaking a Virtual Mobility (VM) in this next Grant Action Period (GAP 3) – see the new Grant Call for GAP3 recently announced on the DE-PASS website. The call document indicates the maximum budget assigned to specific VM opportunities and the contact details of those who can explain the specifics about the VMs for GAP3

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