New questionnaire to assess self-efficacy toward physical activity in children

Objectives. To design a questionnaire for assessment of self-efficacy toward physical activity in school children, as well as to measure its construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. Methods. A four-stage multimethod approach was used: (1) bibliographic research followed by exploratory study and the formulation of questions and responses based on a dichotomous scale of 14 items; (2) validation of the content by a panel of experts; (3) application of the preliminary version of the questionnaire to a sample of 900 school-aged children in Mexico City; and (4) determination of the construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Results. Three factors were identified that explain 64.15% of the variance: the search for positive alternatives to physical activity, ability to deal with possible barriers to exercising, and expectations of skill or competence. The model was validated using the goodness of fit, and the result of 65% less than 0.05 indicated that the estimated factor model fit the data. Cronbach's consistency alpha was 0.733; test-retest reliability was 0.867. Conclusions. The scale designed has adequate reliability and validity. These results are a good indicator of self-efficacy toward physical activity in school children, which is important when developing programs intended to promote such behavior in this age group.