title: Psychometric Properties of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children in Italy: Testing the Validity among a General and Clinical Pediatric Population.
abstract: The purpose of this research was to assess an Italian version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C-It). Three separate studies were conducted, whereby testing general psychometric properties, construct validity, concurrent validity and the factor structure of the PAQ-C-It among general and clinical pediatric population. Study 1 (n = 1170) examined the psychometric properties, internal consistency, factor structure (exploratory factor analysis, EFA) and construct validity with enjoyment perception during physical activity. Study 2 (n = 59) reported on reliability, construct validity with enjoyment and BMI, and on cross-sectional concurrent validity with objectively measured MVPA (tri-axial accelerometry) over the span of seven consecutive days. Study 3 (n = 58) examined the PAQ-C-It reliability, construct validity with BMI and VO2max as the objective measurement among a population of children with congenital heart defects (CHD). In study 2 and 3, the factor structure of the PAQ-C-It was then re-examined with an EFA. The PAQ-C-It showed acceptable to good reliability (alpha .70 to .83). Results on construct validity showed moderate but significant association with enjoyment perception (r = .30 and .36), with BMI (r = -.30 and -.79 for CHD simple form), and with the VO2max (r = .55 for CHD simple form). Significant concurrent validity with the objectively measured MVPA was reported (rho = .30, p < .05). Findings of the EFA suggested a two-factor structure for the PAQ-C-It, with items 2, 3, and 4 contributing little to the total score. This study supports the PAQ-C-It as an appropriate instrument to assess the MVPA levels of Italian children, including children with simple forms of CHD. Support is given to the possible instrument effectiveness on a large international perspective in order to level out data gathering across the globe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elliot
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varnier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carraro
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires