Physical activity is important for everyone, but it is especially critical for youth! While schools can provide some opportunities to be active, it is important for youth to also find ways to be active at home, with family and in the community. The Youth Activity Profile is designed to help youth evaluate their personal activity patterns and to consider ways to be more active. It is also designed to capture school-level data to assist school leaders or researchers evaluate activity programming at school.

Schools have increasingly recognized the importance of promoting healthy and active environments. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day and guidelines emphasize that at least half should come through opportunities at school. The Youth Activity Profile provides a way to accurately assess youth activity behaviors (at school and at home) while also capturing information about sedentary behavior. While it can be used independently, the Youth Activity Profile can complement Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming (CSPAP) strategies by helping schools to plan and evaluate programming aimed at promoting physical activity.