4-item Facial Affective Scale For Assessing Children’S Real-time Enjoyment Of Physical Activity

Abstract

PURPOSE: Validate a 4-item Facial Affective Scale (FAS) for measuring children’s real-time enjoyment of physical activity (PA) and assess variances in FAS scores by sex, weight status, PA type, and PA intensity. METHODS: Prior to resting metabolic rate (RMR) and anthropometric measures, children (7-12 y) completed a questionnaire to assess PA self-efficacy, attraction, and social and environmental influence on PA. Children completed 5-6 random sport, play and locomotive activities and indicated their enjoyment across the same 4 PA contexts (attraction, preference, and social and environmental influence) after each activity using a 4-item FAS. PA intensity was assessed via a portable metabolic analyzer (Child MET = total VO2/RMR). Two-way ANOVA assessed differences in questionnaire measures and FAS scores for all children and by sex and weight status. Repeated measures ANOVA assessed FAS scores by PA type and intensity and by individual activity. Rasch Rating Scale Modeling (RSM) assessed the validity of FAS responses. RESULTS: Twenty-three children (15 boys; 17 healthy weight; 9.7±1.6 y) completed the study. No differences were noted in questionnaire-based PA self-efficacy, attraction, or social and environmental influence on PA by sex or weight status (p>0.05). Weight status, not sex, was found to effect real-time FAS scores for PA attraction only (p=0.002). Real-time locomotive FAS scores were lower for PA attraction (2.8±0.1), preference (2.7±0.1), and social influence (2.8±0.1) compared to sport and play activities (3.4±0.1 to 3.6±0.1; p<0.05). PA attraction (2.3±0.5 to 4.0±0.0) and preference (1.8±0.5 to 3.8±0.2) differed across individual activities (p<0.05). All FAS items fit the RSM with appropriate infit and outfit statistics for development (0.5:2.0). All response categories also fit the RSM. The 4 FAS response categories were ordered and each option was the most probable at some point across theta. The average ability estimate for the children was 1.95±1.78 logits. CONCLUSIONS: This real-time FAS used immediately post-participation is sensitive to differences in PA enjoyment across weight status, PA type and individual activity with respect to attraction, preference and social influence compared to PA questionnaire measures. The FAS is a valid measure of children’s real-time PA enjoyment.