Instrument Development and Validation of Perceived Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale for Adolescents

Thorough evaluation and systematic instrumentation about self-efficacy related to physical activity (PA) in adolescents is necessary to determine efficacy and effectiveness of intervention on PA behavior. The purpose of this report was to investigate the psychometric properties of a perceived self-efficacy scale for PA. In the observational cross-sectional cohort design, an 11-item Perceived Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale was evaluated in a sample of 206 racially diverse adolescents at a Midwestern U.S. public middle school. Participants: The convenience sample included 105 boys and 101 girls from sixth to eighth grade: 47.1% of the participants were European American, 19.4% were African American, and 18% were "other" races and "multi-racial." The University Institutional Review Board provided approval for conducting the study. The same instruments were delivered to participants on two separate occasions, 2 weeks apart. The results from this study revealed satisfactory internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .86, and test-retest reliability of .61. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a one-factor structure with modest fit. However, the self-efficacy was not related to PA and known-group technique was not supported. The study measure demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity through CFA.