Measurement characteristics of activity-related psychosocial measures in 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls in the Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Study (GEMS).
BACKGROUND
This paper presents reliability and validity analyses of physical activity-related psychosocial questionnaires completed by 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls at baseline and follow-up assessments of pilot intervention studies in the Girls health Enrichment Multi-site Study (GEMS).


METHODS
Two hundred ten girls participated in the GEMS 12-week pilot studies and had their height and weight measured, wore an accelerometer for 3 days and completed a measure of their usual physical activity (PA) at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. Subgroups of girls also completed physical activity-related psychosocial measures at these two time points including: (a) self-concept; (b) self-efficacy; (c) outcome expectancies; and d) preferences. Principal components analysis was conducted on the psychosocial measures obtained at baseline. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability were computed. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the baseline psychosocial measures with baseline physical activity measures and body mass index (BMI).


RESULTS
The following sub-scales were derived: Activity Preference, Positive Expectancies and Negative Expectancies for physical activity. Physical Performance Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy for physical activity were kept as single dimensional scales. Sub-scales, derived from principal components analyses, were Activity Preference, Positive Expectancies, and Negative Expectancies for physical activity. Internal consistency estimates for the various scales were substantial to excellent (0.67-0.85), while test-retest reliability estimates were fair to moderate (0.22-0.56). Correlations between the PA psychosocial sub-scales and measured levels of activity measures showed evidence of convergent validity for the Activity Preference sub-scale, although social desirability may have influenced the significant associations observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The Activity Preference was a fairly reliable and valid measure. Further studies are needed to examine the utility of activity-related psychosocial measures in interventions to increase physical activity among preadolescent African-American girls.
Sherwood
Nancy E
NE
Health Partners Research Foundation, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1524, USA. Nancy.E.Sherwood@HealthPartners.com
Taylor
Wendell C
WC
Treuth
Margarita
M
Klesges
Lisa M
LM
Baranowski
Tom
T
Zhou
Ainong
A
Pratt
Charlotte
C
McClanahan
Barbara
B
Robinson
Thomas N
TN
Pruitt
Leslie
L
Miller
Wayne
W
D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States