title: Factor analysis shows association between family activity environment and children's health behaviour.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterise the family activity environment in a questionnaire format, assess the questionnaire's reliability and describe its predictive ability by examining the relationships between the family activity environment and children's health behaviours - physical activity, screen time and fruit and vegetable intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper describes the creation of a tool, based on previously validated scales, adapted from the food domain. Data are from 106 children and their parents (Adelaide, South Australia). Factor analysis was used to characterise factors within the family activity environment. Pearson-Product Moment correlations between the family environment and child outcomes, controlling for demographic variation, were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three factors described the family activity environment - parental activity involvement, opportunity for role modelling and parental support for physical activity - and explained 37.6% of the variance. Controlling for demographic factors, the scale was significantly correlated with children's health behaviour - physical activity (r=0.27), screen time (r=-0.24) and fruit and vegetable intake (r=0.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The family activity environment questionnaire shows high internal consistency and moderate predictive ability. This study has built on previous research by taking a more comprehensive approach to measuring the family activity environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research suggests the family activity environment should be considered in family-based health promotion interventions.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences, South Australia, and Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, South Australia. gilly.hendrie@csiro.au
authors.forename: Gilly A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hendrie
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coveney
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014675:Vegetables