Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to develop a questionnaire to measure factors associated with physical activity (PA) in adolescents and analyze its reliability and validity. METHODS: a total of 248 adolescents from 14 to 19 years old took part in this study. The factors associated with PA measured were: attitude, self-efficacy, social support of PA and perceived environment. Cronbach's alpha (α) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to test reliability, and exploratory factor analysis to evaluate validity. RESULTS: attitude was measured as a single factor (attitude: α=0.76, ICC=0.89); self-efficacy consisted of two factors: resources for PA (α=0.76, ICC=0.75) and social support and motives for engaging in PA (α=0.76, ICC=0.67); social support was measured as two factors: support for PA from friends (α=0.90, ICC=0.89) and support for PA from parents (α= 0.81, ICC=0.91); and the environment was measured as three factors: access to and attractiveness of places to engage in PA (α=0.69, ICC=0.82), security/safety when engaging in PA (α=0.73, ICC=0.67), and general infrastructure of the neighborhood (α=0.70, ICC=0.75). CONCLUSIONS: the questionnaire exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability and can be recommended for studies investigating adolescents.
Highlights
The identification of factors that may influence the participation of adolescents in physical activity, especially those that can be modified, has been a subject of interest to various researchers[1,2] and is considered a research priority in the field of epidemiology of physical activity.[1]Interest in the subject has arisen from the fact that possible changes in levels of physical activity are not established directly
Results: attitude was measured as a single factor; self-efficacy consisted of two factors: resources for physical activity (PA) (α=0.76, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC)=0.75) and social support and motives for engaging in PA (α=0.76, ICC=0.67); social support was measured as two factors: support for PA from friends (α=0.90, ICC=0.89) and support for PA from parents (α= 0.81, ICC=0.91); and the environment was measured as three factors: access to and attractiveness of places to engage in PA (α=0.69, ICC=0.82), security/safety when engaging in PA (α=0.73, ICC=0.67), and general infrastructure of the neighborhood (α=0.70, ICC=0.75)
Ecological models are considered the most appropriate for studying factors associated with physical activity,[5] as they presuppose a reciprocal interrelation between variables of multiple levels of analysis, such as the individual and the environmental.[5]
Summary
The identification of factors that may influence the participation of adolescents in physical activity, especially those that can be modified, has been a subject of interest to various researchers[1,2] and is considered a research priority in the field of epidemiology of physical activity.[1]Interest in the subject has arisen from the fact that possible changes in levels of physical activity are not established directly. There is a need to alter one or more factors that impact physical activity for changes to occur.[1] The identification of these factors should guide the planning and development of intervention programs to increase the level of physical activity and to establish which factors should be the target of intervention and to select the best methodological intervention strategies.[1,3,4]. It is well-documented in the literature that the participation of adolescents in physical activity is influenced by socio-demographic, biological, psychological, social and environmental factors.[3,4] Ecological models are considered the most appropriate for studying factors associated with physical activity,[5] as they presuppose a reciprocal interrelation between variables of multiple levels of analysis, such as the individual (attitude, self-efficacy) and the environmental (such as social support for physical activity and the characteristics of this environment).[5]
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