The Worksite Supportive Environments for Active Living Survey: Development and Psychometric Properties

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a self-report instrument to measure perceived physical and social environmental factors in the worksite setting that are shown to influence physical activity. Initial items were generated from a review of the literature and were sent out for peer and expert panel review. A revised questionnaire was sent to 1250 participants to determine and test the emerging factor structure. The instrument was tested at two worksites in the mid-South. Participants consisted of a random sample of regular full-time employees at the two worksites. Principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation was used to explore the data in the first group of participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the fit of the final model in the second group of participants. Measures used included the comparative fit index, parsimony goodness of fit index, root mean square error of approximation, and the root mean square residual. The final analysis showed an adequate fit of the data to the hypothesized factor structure (n = 683). The instrument showed good internal consistency, temporal stability, construct reliability, and discriminant validity. The Worksite Supportive Environments for Active Living Survey is a reliable and valid tool for investigating perception of the worksite environment related to physical activity.