Measurement and invariance characteristics of psychosocial correlates of youth physical activity. Issue 2 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Senlin; Bai, Yang; Welk, Gregory; Vazou, Spyridoula; Schaben, Jodee
• Is Part Of: Journal of science and medicine in sport. Volume 18:Issue 2(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 172
• Page End: 177
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Sports sciences -- Periodicals; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports -- physiology -- Periodicals; Sports Medicine -- Periodicals; Sportgeneeskunde; 617.102705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2014.03.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1440-2440

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Objectives</title> <p id="spar0005">Physical inactivity needs to be strategically addressed from and throughout childhood and adolescence. The <italic>youth physical activity promotion</italic> model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and promoting physical activity in youth. This study examined psychometric characteristics of the <italic>children's attraction to physical activity</italic> scale and the <italic>perceived physical competence</italic> scale, two frequently utilized instruments to measure the underlying predisposing factors emphasized in the <italic>youth physical activity promotion</italic> model.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Design</title> <p id="spar0010">A cross-sectional correlational research design was utilized to address the research purposes.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Methods</title> <p id="spar0015">Participants (<italic>N</italic> = 1563) were involved with a large school-based initiative involving 19 schools in two U.S. states. The <italic>children's attraction to physical activity</italic> and <italic>perceived physical competence</italic> scales were administered in the schools by the physical education teachers using a customized online platform. Confirmatory factory analysis and invariance model testing (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar invariances) were conducted with the Linear Structural Relations 8.8 software.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Results</title> <p id="spar0020">The results supported the multidimensionality of the <italic>children's attraction to physical activity</italic> scale and demonstrated that the 6-factor measurement model was invariant by gender and mostly invariant by school level (elementary, middle, high). The scalar non-invariance across school levels was attributed to weak psychometric properties in two of the <italic>children's attraction to physical activity</italic> subscales (i.e., peer acceptance and fun of physical exertion).</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0030">Conclusions</title> <p id="spar0025">The findings support the utility of the <italic>children's attraction to physical activity</italic> and <italic>perceived physical competence</italic> for capturing predisposing factors within the <italic>youth physical activity promotion</italic> model but document the need for refinements in several key subscales.</p> </sec> </abstract>