AI Article Synopsis
- The study focused on assessing the validity and consistency of scales measuring social-cognitive factors influencing physical activity in adolescent girls.
- Using responses from nearly 5,000 middle-school girls across the U.S., researchers employed confirmatory factor analysis to validate the measurement models for various demographic groups.
- Results showed that the scales are reliable and can effectively assess factors that might influence changes in physical activity, making them useful for future studies and interventions aimed at increasing activity levels among girls in early adolescence.
Article Abstract
Objective: The factorial validity and measurement equivalence/invariance of scales used to measure social-cognitive correlates of physical activity among adolescent girls were examined.
Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to questionnaire responses obtained from a multi-ethnic sample (N = 4885) of middle-school girls from six regions of the United States. A cohort of 1893 girls completed the scales in both sixth and eighth grades, allowing longitudinal analysis.
Results: Theoretically and statistically sound models were developed for each scale, supporting the factorial validity of the scales in all groups. Multi-group and longitudinal invariance was confirmed across race/ethnicity groups, age within grade, BMI categories, and the 2-year period between grades.
Conclusions: The scores from the scales provide valid assessments of social-cognitive variables that are putative mediators or moderators of change in physical activity. The revised scales can be used in observational studies of change or interventions designed to increase physical activity among girls during early adolescence.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910934 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsp031 | DOI Listing |
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