Development of a survey measuring parental physical activity support in parents of children with disabilities

Abstract

Purpose The purposes of the current study were to develop a questionnaire to measure parental physical activity (PA) support in parents of children with disabilities and to examine factors associated with parental PA support. Materials and Methods A questionnaire measuring parental PA support in parents of children with disabilities (PPSQ for PCD), consisting of three constructs (encouragement, co-PA, and logistic support) with 19 items, was initially developed and evaluated by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Three independent multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the three constructs and parental PA orientation variables. Results With the item deletion approach, the final model with 12 items (four items in each construct) was developed, which revealed an excellent model fit ( [df = 51, p = .008], CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.94. RMSEA = 0.05). The multiple regression analyses revealed that parental orientation variables were differently associated with each construct of the PPSQ for PCD. Conclusions The PPSQ for PCD consists of three constructs, differently associated with parental orientation variables. This questionnaire can be used as an instrument to assess parental PA support. Implications for Rehabilitation The Parental Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) can be used to assess parental physical activity support in parents of children with disabilities. The PPAQ measures three constructs (i.e., types) of parental physical activity support including encouragement, co-physical activity, and logistic support. Parental physical activity orientations (e.g., importance, enjoyment, and behavior) are differently associated with each construct of parental physical activity support.