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Table 1 Computing sensitivity and specificity of stages of change for Physical Activity (PA)

From: Testing the validity of a stage assessment on health enhancing physical activity in a chinese university student sample

Stage algorithm

Actual physical activity criterion

Individuals meeting physical activity criterion

Individuals not meeting physical activity criterion

Individuals in active stages (F, E, Ma)

a

b

Individuals in inactive stages (NC, C, P)

c

d

  1. Note: NC = Not-considering; C = Considering; P = Preparing; F = Fluctuating; E = Exploring; Ma = Maintaining. Sensitivity = a/(a + c) = Proportion of individuals who are accurately classified as performing the activity over the total number who meet the criteria for the activity. Specificity = d/(b + d) = Proportion of individuals who are accurately classified as not performing the activity over the total number who don't meet the criteria for the activity