Reliability, validity and internal consistency of social support and self-efficacy scales for physical activity in adolescents with 10 to 14 years of age.

Gerfeson Mendonça,José Cazuza De Farias Júnior,Alcides Prazeres Filho,Inácio Crochemore-Silva

doi:10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020274

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective:To analyze the reliability, validity and internal consistency of the physical activity social support (SSS) and self-efficacy (SES) scales among adolescents aged 10–14 years.Methods:The reliability study included 171 adolescents (mean age=12.3±1.0 years, 59.6% female) and validity and consistency study with 1,107 (mean age=12.0±1.0 years, 52.7% female). The SSS had 15 items and the SES eight items. Reliability was determined by Spearman's correlation analysis (rho) and validity and internal consistency by factor analysis (exploratory — EFA and confirmatory — CFA) and the composite reliability (CR), respectively.Results:The reliability of SSS (father: rho=0.80; p<0.001 | mother: rho=0.76; p<0.001 | friends: rho=0.75; p<0.001) and SES (rho=0.72; p<0.001) were considered high. In the EFA, three factors were identified for the SSS (father, mother and friends — five items each) and one factor for SES (five items), confirmed in the CFA. Quality parameters of adjustment in the final models were satisfactory for SSS (chi-square=240.5 [p<0.001]; root mean square residual — RMR=0.05; root mean square error of approximation — RMSEA=0.04 [90%CI 0.04–0.05]; goodness of fit index — GFI=0.97; adjusted goodness of fit index — AGFI=0.96 and comparative fit index — CFI=0.97) and SES (chi-square=5.4 [p=0.07]; RMR=0.01; RMSEA=0.04 [90%CI 0.00–0.08]; GFI=0.99; AGFI=0.99 and CFI=0.97). Internal consistency was considered satisfactory for SSS (CR: father=0.79, mother=0.77, friends=0.78) and low for SES (CR=0.38).Conclusions:The scales showed satisfactory levels of reliability and of construct validity. However, only the SSS showed adequate levels of internal consistency.%

Highlights

Physical activity (PA) has been associated with benefits related to the physical, mental and social health of adolescents.[1]
Quality parameters of adjustment in the final models were satisfactory for social support scale (SSS) and self-efficacy scale (SES)
Eight out of ten adolescents in the world do not practice PA according to what is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).[2,3]

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) has been associated with benefits related to the physical, mental and social health of adolescents.[1]. Self-efficacy for the practice of PA is defined as the ability of a person to perform some activity even in unfavorable situations (“presence of barriers”), for example, lack of places and/or equipment, motivation and company.[2,3] These constructs are present in theories (socio-cognitive) and models (socioecological) used to explain PA.[2,3,4] they do not provide guidance on how to measure these constructs.[2]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion