Adaptation of the physical activity neighborhood environment scale in Oman

Objectives: This study aimed to adapt the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES), which is a 17-item tool for assessing environmental factors relevant for walking and bicycling in the community, to the Omani context. Methods: The adaptation process was conducted in three steps: (1) revision by local experts, (2) Arabic translation and cognitive testing and (3) test-retest reliability testing with a sample of 33 Omani women and men, between September 2016 and August 2017. Results: Four of the 17 items of the PANES were modified and one was removed, resulting in a 16-item PANES, Oman (PANES-O) questionnaire. The test-retest reliability scores ranged from 0.436–1.000; scores for more than half (n = 9) were almost perfect (0.8–1.0), demonstrating a good level of consistency and good psychometric performance similar to other studies. Conclusion: The PANES-O demonstrated good test-retest reliability and appears to be a promising tool for assessing environmental perceptions related to physical activity in Oman. However, construct validity should be confirmed before wider use.