Group-Evaluated Measures (GEM)

What is GEM?

Group-Evaluated Measures (GEM) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) database for researchers with information about behavioral, social science, and other scientific measures organized by associated constructs. Where possible, a copy of the measure or link to an external site for access to the measure is provided.

NCI conceptualized the updated GEM database with two overarching aims for behavioral research:

  • Promote the use of standardized measures for prospective research and
  • Facilitate the ability to share harmonized data resulting from the use of standardized measures.

GEM History

Note that the redesigned version of GEM only includes measures recommended by the specific collaborative groups during 2010-2021 and will not be accepting new measures at this time. Learn about the History of GEM

Search GEM Database

GEM is a NCI database for researchers with information about and potential access to behavioral, social science, and other scientific measures organized by associated constructs.

Title GEM Attachments GEM Initiative Highlight GEM Construct
‘Liking’ and ‘Wanting’ Visual Analog Scales

The Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ; Finlayson, King, and Blundell, 2008) provides measures of different components of food preference and food reward. Participants are presented with an array of pictures of individual food items common in the diet. Foods in the array are chosen by the experimenter from a validated database to represent a particular dichotomous dimension of foods of relevance to the research question (e.g. high/low in fat). Responses are recorded and used to compute mean scores for specified food categories. The LFPQ has been validated in a wide range of research and shown to predict actual food choice and energy intake when assessed under laboratory and free-living settings. Scores on the tool can indicate risk of reward-based overeating in obesity. Longitudinal changes can indicate improvement in food preference/choice in response to obesity treatment. The LFPQ has been translated into 14 languages and used in child, adolescent, adult and clinical populations.
 

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Whole Blood

Whole blood can reflect the physical state of multiple tissues.  In addition, leukocyte number and composition can reflect immune states as well. 

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
Walk Score

Measures walkability on a scale from 0 - 100 based on walking routes to destinations such as grocery stores, schools, parks, restaurants, and retail. "Walk Score measures the walkability of any address using a patented system. For each address, Walk Score analyzes hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities. Points are awarded based on the distance to amenities in each category. Amenities within a 5 minute walk (.25 miles) are given maximum points. A decay function is used to give points to more distant amenities, with no points given after a 30 minute walk. Walk Score also measures pedestrian friendliness by analyzing population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density. Data sources include Google, Education.com, Open Street Map, the U.S. Census, and places added by the Walk Score user community." https://www.walkscore.com/methodology.shtml.  Individual Addresses can be obtained free by entering them at the web page.  Batches of addresses or walk score for areas can be obtained for a fee from the company.

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
Waist to Hip Ratio, Waist Circumference

It is recommended that investigators utilize uniform landmarks, with waist circumference measured at the iliac crest and hip circumference measured at the level of the trochanters as utilized by the National Center for Health Statistics in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey studies. It should be noted that the abdominal circumference measured at the midpoint between the inferior border of the ribcage and the superior aspect of the iliac crest has been reported to be a better correlate of central adiposity in some studies. However, the NIH method is recommended to allow for better comparisons with existing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and other data.

ADOPT Biological Anthropometry
TSH, T4, ft4l (panel)

A thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test is a common blood test used to evaluate how well the thyroid gland is working. The thyroid gland is located at the lower front of the neck. TSH is produced by the pituitary, a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain.

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
Trait Food Craving Questionnaire‐ Reduced

An instrument used to assess food cravings where scores have been found to be positively associated with eating pathology, body mass index (BMI), low dieting success and increases in state food craving during cognitive tasks involving appealing food stimuli.

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Thornton's fast food availability (Perceived)

Respondents were asked to report how much they agreed or disagreed with statements related to fast food in their neighbourhood (are they affordable? (“FF in nhd affordable”); are they easily accessible? (“FF in nhd accessible”); and are they found in shops with convenient opening hours? (“FF in nhd has conv open hrs”).

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
Social Support and Exercise (Modified Sallis)

Originally, published in 1987, the purpose of the study was to develop measures of perceived social support and exercise behaviors  (and a separate survey for social support specific to health-related eating). In Study I, specific supportive and nonsupportive behaviors were identified through interviews with 40 individuals making health-behavior changes. In Study II, items derived from the interviews were administered to 171 subjects.

Later, the initial 29 item survey (available in reference), was shortened to the 13 item survey. The abbreviated survey was designed to be easier to use than the original, complete scale reported in Preventive Medicine.

ADOPT Environmental Social Support
Social Support and Eating Habits Survey (Modified Sallis)

Originally, published in 1987, the purpose of the study was to develop measures of perceived social support specific to health-related eating (and a separate survey for social support and exercise behaviors). In Study I, specific supportive and nonsupportive behaviors were identified through interviews with 40 individuals making health-behavior changes. In Study II, items derived from the interviews were administered to 171 subjects. 

Later, the initial 36 item survey (available in reference), was shortened to the 10 item survey. The abbreviated survey was designed to be easier to use than the original, complete scale reported in Preventive Medicine.

ADOPT Environmental Social Support
Self-Efficacy (behavior-specific)

Measures of this construct will vary depending on the target behavior.  Thus, investigators will need to identify a measure that is appropriate for the behavior of interest (please see the construct page for further discussion of this issue). Two example measures (one for exercise and one for eating) are available in GEM and can be accessed using the links below. 

ADOPT Psychosocial Cognition
Reward Based Eating Drive

The Reward Based Eating Drive Scale (RED) is a 13-item scale that assesses preoccupation with food, lack of control over eating, and lack of satiety with one reliable factor. Based on Item Response Theory, it includes items to provide greater coverage of the middle to low levels of reward based eating commonly reported in obesity. The RED predicts weight cycling, weight gain over years, and in one weight loss trial, improvement in the RED mediated weight. 

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Resting Heart Rate

Heart rate when at rest measured in beats per minute (bpm)

ADOPT Biological Physical Performance Testing
Relative accessibility of supermarkets to fast food restaurants (Perceived)

This measure is based on a six item measure of perceived presence of food outlets in the neighborhood developed and tested by Liese and colleagues.

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
REE-Mifflin St.Jeor equation, Total EE, Physical Activity Level (PAL)

Energy expenditure can be estimated by measuring macronutrient or oxygen consumption, or heat production or carbon dioxide production. Most measurement approaches in use today involve the measurement of oxygen consumption and/or production of carbon dioxide via indirect calorimetry.

ADOPT Biological Energy Expenditure
Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP-5)

Revised version of the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP), which was developed for use in the original field trials of the proposed criteria for Binge Eating Disorder.

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (state)

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a self-report measure made up of two mood scales, one measuring positive affect and the other measuring negative affect.

ADOPT Psychosocial Emotions
Physical Activity Level (PAL)

PAL is defined as Total daily energy expenditure(TEE)/Resting energy expenditure(REE). The questionnaire provides a self-evaluation of physical activity during work and leisure activities.  

With measures or calculated values of REE, an estimate of TEE can be made from PAL
TEE = Physical activity leve(PAL) x REE

ADOPT Biological Physical Activity
Perceived Stress Scale

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a measure of the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. PSS items were designed to tap the degree to which respondents found their lives unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloading. These three issues have been repeatedly found to be central components of the experience of stress (Averill, 1973; Cohen, 1978; Glass and Singer, 1972; Lazarus, 1966, 1977; Seligman, 1975). The scale also includes a number of direct queries about current levels of experienced stress. The PSS is composed of 14 items measured from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). PSS scores are obtained by reversing the scores on the seven positive items, e.g., 0=4, 1=3, 2=2, etc., and then summing across all 14 items. Items 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13 are the positively stated items. 

ADOPT Psychosocial Cognition
Palatable Eating Motives: Coping Subscale

This is a four-item coping subscale of the PEMs self-report scale that measures eating behavior as a means of dealing with problems and negative feelings.

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire

The Paffenbarger questionnaire is a commonly-used, self-reported measure of leisure-time physical activity. 

ADOPT Behavioral Physical Activity
Neighborhood-Level Police-Reported Crime

This measure of police reported crime has been operationalized using data purchased from Applied Geographic systems.  The data set included county names, population, total crime, personal crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft) by census tract. Further details are available in Slotman et al. 2022 and at the NCI ADOPT core measures web site.

ADOPT Environmental Neighborhood Characteristics
Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale - Land Use Mix Access Subscale

The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) is a comprehensive and widely used instrument for measuring neighborhood characteristics based on 68 items concerning perceptions of multiple aspects of the environment such as land use mix, safety and connectivity (Saelens et al. 2003).  

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
Neighborhood Deprivation Index - Diez Roux

The Neighborhood Deprivation Index is based on factor analysis of four measures of SES at the census tract level: Neighborhood poverty, median household income, % < high school,  and % college.

ADOPT Environmental Neighborhood Characteristics
National Walkability Index

The Walkability Index dataset characterizes every Census 2010 block group in the U.S. based on its relative walkability. Walkability depends upon characteristics of the built environment that influence the likelihood of walking being used as a mode of travel. The Walkability Index is based on the EPA's previous data product, the Smart Location Database (SLD). Block group data from the SLD was the only input into the Walkability Index, and consisted of four variables from the SLD weighted in a formula to create the new Walkability Index. This dataset shares the SLD's block group boundary definitions from Census 2010. The methodology describing the process of creating the Walkability Index can be found in the documents located at ftp://newftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/OP/WalkabilityIndex.zip. You can also learn more about the Smart Location Database at https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/OP/SLD/SmartLocationDB.zip.

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ)

The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) is a self-reported measure of chronotype that calculates the midpoint of sleep on free days based on self-reported bed and wake times.

ADOPT Behavioral Sleep
Multiple Interviewer Administered 24hr Recalls

The objective of the 24-hour dietary recall is to estimate total intake of food energy (calories), nutrients, and non-nutrient food components from foods and beverages that were consumed during the 24-hour period prior to the interview (usually midnight to midnight). The 24-hour recall multipass protocol consists of developing an initial "quick list," where the respondent is queried about all the foods and beverages consumed during the day. This is followed by detailed probing questions about food preparation, additions to food, and amount consumed organized by eating occasion. Respondents are also queried about forgotten foods; these represent food in categories commonly omitted in 24-hour recall reporting. The 24-hour recall ends with a final review, where any other item not already reported can be added. The 24-hour recall usually takes 30 minutes but can be highly variable. Intake of dietary supplements for the past 24 hours can also be queried.

ADOPT Behavioral Diet
Mini‐International Personality Item Pool (Short form)

This measure is a 20-item version of the original 50-item International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) measure. It is used in some national longitudinal studies, such as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).

ADOPT Psychosocial Personality
Metabolite Panel (Glucose, NEFA, TGs)

Fasting levels of glucose, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and triglycerides (TG) should be measured at baseline, during weight loss, and after weight loss. Glucose, NEFA, and TGs are the primary nutrients in circulation, and all three respond to calorie-restricted weight loss. 

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
MESA Perceived Neighborhood Safety

The MESA perceived neighborhood safety measure is based on three items addressing safety while walking, day or night, whether violence is not a problem and whether the neighborhood is safe from crime. Items were scored 1 (Strongly agree) to 5 (Strongly disagree) and a scale was based on the sum.

ADOPT Environmental Neighborhood Characteristics
MESA Neighborhood Study's Fast food restaurant accessibility (Perceived)

There are many opportunities to purchase fast foods in my neighborhood.
Rated on 5-point scale (1 strongly agree, 2 agree, 3 neutral (neither agree nor disagree), 4 disagree, 5 strongly disagree).

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
MESA Neighborhood Healthy Food Availability

It is easy to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables in my neighborhood. 
There is a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables available in my neighborhood.
The fresh produce in my neighborhood is of high quality.
It is easy to purchase low-fat products (such as low-fat milk or lean meats) in my neighborhood.
There is a large selection of low fat products available in my neighborhood. 
The low-fat products in my neighborhood are of high quality. 

Rated on 5-point scale (1 strongly agree, 2 agree, 3 neutral (neither agree nor disagree), 4 disagree, 5 strongly disagree).

ADOPT Environmental Access to Healthy Foods
Kirby Questionnaire

The 27-item Kirby questionnaire is most commonly used to measure delay discounting. This questionnaire is easy to administer, meets psychometric standards for reliability and stability, and has one-year test-retest correlations similar to tests designed to assess personality traits. 

ADOPT Psychosocial Cognition
Insulin, Glucagon, HOMA-IR, HOME-6, HBA1c

Fasting levels of insulin, glucagon, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) can be measured before, during, and after weight loss. Along with the metabolite data, these measures can be utilized to calculate indices of insulin sensitivity and secretion (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and homeostatic model assessment for b-cell function (88). 

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
Important Others' Questionnaire

Self-determination theory suggests that autonomy support from others is important in motivating change of various health behaviors.

ADOPT Environmental Social Support
IL-6, TNF-alpha, CRP

Key inflammatory cytokines include interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP).  For weight loss studies, they should be measured in the fasted state before, during, and after weight loss. 

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
Hunger and Satiety Visual Analog Scales

Ratings of subjective appetite sensations, which reflect the motivational drive to eat, can be made using visual analogue scales (VAS). VAS are typically used to measure subjective ratings of hunger, fullness, desire to eat and prospective food consumption, but a range of scales have been employed, and a composite score can be created from individual scales. 

ADOPT Psychosocial Diet
Home Address(es) Throughout Study

Home address(es) throughout the study with appropriate consent to use them to obtain neighborhood-level data by matching to databases (e.g., Census).

Street name, city, state, zip code

ADOPT Environmental Location
Height, Weight, and BMI

BMI = weight / height^2  (kg/m^2) 

ADOPT Biological Body Mass Index
Healthy Eating Index-2010

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 is a measure of diet quality, independent of quantity that can assess conformance to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and monitor changes in dietary patterns. The HEI-2010 can be calculated using data collected via 24-hour dietary recalls or selected food frequency questionnaires.

ADOPT Behavioral Diet
Global Physical Activity Questionnaire

This 16 question instrument assesses physical activity participation in three domains (activity at work, travel to and from places, and recreational activities) as well as sedentary behavior. It is commonly used as a surveillance measure of physical activity in diverse populations.

ADOPT Behavioral Physical Activity
Ghrelin, GLP1, PYY3-36 (panel)

There are a number of analysis techniques that can be employed to measure most of these peptides e.g. RIA and ELISA, and the recent development of ‘multiplexing’ techniques has allowed the measurement of a large number of peptides in a single assay.  

ADOPT Biological Laboratory Procedure
Energy Intake - Steady State & Change Over Time

This measurement provides an estimate of the changes in energy intake over time. The method requires baseline information about sex, age, and height along with repeated body weight data and optional physical activity data (e.g., from an accelerometer). The method calculates the changes in energy intake over time that correspond to the measured body weight changes using a mathematical model of adult human energy balance dynamics. 

ADOPT Biological Diet
EARLY SSB Consumption Questionnaire

4 questions and 2 sub-questions to assess sugar-sweetened beverage intake. 

View this Questionnaire (PDF, 107.56 KB)
ADOPT Behavioral Diet
EARLY Eating Away from Home Questionnaire

This measure includes 4 questions, each tapping the frequency with which the respondent: 1) buys food at a fast food restaurant; 2) buys food at a sit down/full service restaurant; 3) buy food from an al you can eat buffet; and 4) eat meals prepared at home

View this Questionnaire (PDF, 215.23 KB)
ADOPT Behavioral Diet
Density of (1) Supermarkets, (2) Fast food restaurants, and (3) Convenience stores

There are multiple ways to measure accessibility of food outlets including proximity, availability, and density. Thus, multiple measures are possible. However, because not all studies can derive distance measures (i.e., they only have the administrative unit where study participants live), the prioritized measure is food outlet density per 10,000 residents. But options include distance (Euclidean or straight-line or Street network) to the nearest food outlet or nearest X number of food outlets; Count of the number of food outlets within a certain distance (e.g., one mile or three miles); Count of the number of food outlets per 10,000 people in an administrative unit or distance (e.g., number of supermarkets per 10,000 people); and Count of the number of food outlets per land area (e.g., number of supermarkets per square mile). Measures that take into account travel time are also possible. Food outlet accessibility can be measured based on where you live and where you work. Each food outlet type should be measured separately.

ADOPT Environmental Built Environment
CARDIA/EARLY Self-reported Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire

Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) is a study examining the development and determinants of cardiovascular disease and their risk factors.

ADOPT Behavioral Sedentary Lifestyle
Body Mass Index (BMI)

Measurement of height and weight; the two measurements can then be used to calculate the commonly used adiposity estimate of Body Mass Index (BMI).  BMI is calculated as weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m).

ADOPT Environmental Body Mass Index
Bioelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy (BIS)

Bioelectrical impedence spectroscpy is a noninvasive and comparatively inexpensive type of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to assess body composition that  can be utilized in studies of any size or duration (1).  The multisegmental, multifrequency BIS device allows for the identification of more components of bioimpedance (capacitance, resistance, etc.) than single-frequency BIA devices.

ADOPT Biological Diagnostic Imaging
Big Five Inventory‐2 (Long form)

This is a revised version of the original Big Five Inventory. It has been refined and expanded to measure 15 facets across the five domains.

ADOPT Psychosocial Personality
Berlin Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea

The Berlin Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea consists of 3 categories related to the risk of having sleep apnea.

ADOPT Behavioral Sleep
Behavioral Intentions (behavior-specific)

Measures of this construct will vary depending on the target behavior.  Thus, investigators will need to identify a measure that is appropriate for the behavior of interest (please see the construct page for further discussion of this issue). Two example measures (one for exercise and one for fruit and vegetable consumption) are available in GEM and can be accessed using the links below. 

ADOPT Behavioral Behavior
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function‐Adult

Measure of adult executive functioning for people 18-90 years of age. This is a 75-item questionnaire with 9 clinical scales:  Inhibit, Self-Monitor, Plan/Organize, Shift, Initiate, Task Monitor, Emotional Control, Working Memory and Organization. Self-report and informant versions.

ADOPT Psychosocial Cognition
Adiponectin, Leptin, Amylin

There are a number of analysis techniques that can be employed to measure such peptides e.g. RIA and ELISA, and the recent development of ‘multiplexing’ techniques has allowed the measurement of a large number of peptides in a single assay. 

ADOPT Biological Energy Expenditure

Contact

Richard Moser, Ph.D.

Richard Moser, Ph.D.

Training Director and Research Methods Coordinator, GEM Director, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences