BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate questionnaires used to measure psychosocial determinants of physical activity in preadolescent children. METHODS: Three theory-based questionnaires and a measure of after-school physical activity were administered to 422 fifth-grade students. A cross-validation design was employed for psychometric development of the scales, including factor analysis, reliability, and validation by correlating scale scores with intention to be physically active and after-school physical activity. RESULTS: The Social Influences scale contained a single factor. The Self-Efficacy scale contained three factors: support seeking, barriers, and positive alternatives. The Beliefs scale contained two factors: social outcomes and physical activity outcomes. Reliability coefficients ranged from about 0.50 to 0.78. Significant correlations were obtained between all six scales and intention in the development sample, and between five scales and intention in the validation sample. Significant correlations were obtained between social influence and self-efficacy barriers and physical activity in the development sample, and between social influences and physical activity in the validation sample. CONCLUSIONS: Three scales to measure psychosocial determinants of physical activity were refined for use with rural, predominantly African-American, preadolescent children, and shown to be both reliable and valid. Factor analysis resulted in interpretable subscales that may be used as variables. These preliminary results provide support for using the scales to measure influences on activity in children.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A prospective study of the determinants of physical activity in rural fifth-grade children.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the factors that influence physical activity behavior is important in the design of intervention programs targeted at youth. METHODS: A prospective study design was used to identify the predictors of vigorous physical activity (VPA) (> or = 6 METs) and moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (> or = 3 METs) among 202 rural, predominantly African-American children. Selected social-cognitive determinants of physical activity were assessed via questionnaire in the fifth grade. Participation in VPA and MVPA was assessed via the previous day physical activity recall 1 year later in the sixth grade. RESULTS: For girls, participation in community sports, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers, enjoyment of school physical education, race (white > black), and perception of mother's activity level (active vs inactive) were significant predictors of VPA. For MVPA, participation in community sports and self-efficacy in overcoming barriers were significant predictors. For boys, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers was the only significant predictor of VPA, while beliefs regarding activity outcomes and participation in community sports were significant predictors of MVPA. CONCLUSION: Social-cognitive constructs such as physical activity self-efficacy, access to community physical activity outlets, and positive beliefs regarding physical activity outcomes are important predictors of future physical activity behavior among rural, predominantly African-American children.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied