Indication
Physical activity diaries and logs are useful in studies which require detailed information on physical activity i.e. frequency, duration and intensity across all domains i.e. house, transport, work and leisure. They impose a significant response burden so are not suitable for children less than 10 years, and proxy reports in younger children are difficult and may not be accurate. Diaries and logs are suitable for cross sectional or intervention studies; the problem of reactivity may be greater in intervention studies. This method has been used mainly in small to medium sized studies (i.e. less than 500 people). Patterns of activity can be assessed and energy expenditure due to physical activity can be estimated at a group level. Diaries and logs are suitable methods to measure adherence to recommendations for physical activity.