Conceptualizing a framework for the surveillance of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in Canada

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has modernized its approach to physical activity surveillance by broadening its scope to include sedentary behaviour and sleep. The first step was to develop a conceptual framework which covers the full spectrum of physical movement from moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and light intensity physical activity (LPA) to sedentary behaviour and sleep. The framework accounts for the environments in which these behaviours take place (home, work/school, transportation, and community), and applies a socioecological approach to incorporate individual factors and broader built, social, and societal environmental indicators. A visual model of the conceptual framework was created to aid dissemination.