This study examined the validity and reliability of Greek versions of two scales assessing family and friend support for exercise behaviour. Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed in a sample of 360 students. Additionally, CFAs were applied in a second sample of 726 physically active adults. Finally, associations were examined among scales and physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and socio-demographic variables. Results indicated (a) a two-factor model for the Family Support for Exercise Behaviour Scale, (b) a one-factor solution for the Friend Support for Exercise Behaviour Scale, (c) satisfactory reliability coefficients, and (d) associations among the scales and physical activity, self-efficacy and socio-demographic variables. Conclusively, the social support scales were valid and reliable.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArbuckleJ. L. (2007) Amos 16 user's guide. Chicago, IL: Amos Development Corporation.
2.
BentlerP. M. (1990) Comparative fit indices in structural equation models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238–246.
3.
CattellR. B. (1966) The scree test for the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 3, 245–276.
4.
CraigC. L.MarshallA. L.SjöströmM.BaumanA. E.BoothM. L.AinsworthB. E.PrattM.EkelundU.YngveA.SallisJ. F.OjaP. (2003) International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35, 1381–1395.
5.
FanX.SivoS. A. (2005) Sensitivity of fit indexes to misspecified structural or measurement model components: Rationale of two-index strategy revisited. Structural Equation Modeling, 12, 343–367.
6.
HuL.BentlerP. M. (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.
7.
IshiiK.ShibataA.OkaK. (2010) Environmental, psychological, and social influences on physical activity among Japanese adults: Structural equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7, 61.
8.
KaiserH. (1961) A note on Guttman's lower bound for the number of common factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1, 249–276.
9.
KimY. H.CardinalB. J. (2010) Psychosocial correlates of Korean adolescents' physical activity behavior. Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, 8, 97–104.
10.
KlineR. B. (2005) Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. (2nd ed.) New York: Guilford.
11.
MarcusB. H.SelbyV. C.NiauraR. S.RossiJ. S. (1992) Self-efficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 63, 60–66.
12.
MardiaK. V. (1970) Applications of some measures of multivariate skewness and kurtosis in testing normality and robustness studies. Sankhva, 36, 115–128.
13.
MarquezD. X.McAuleyE. (2006) Social cognitive correlates of leisure time physical activity among Latinos. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29, 281–289.
14.
MarshH. W.HauK. T.WenZ. (2004) In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler's (1999) findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11, 320–341.
15.
McAuleyE.JeromeG. J.ElavskyS.MarquezD. X.RamseyS. N. (2003) Predicting long-term maintenance of physical activity in older adults. Preventive Medicine, 37, 110–118.
16.
NorooziA.GhofranipourF.HeydarniaA. R.NabipourI.ShokraviF. A. (2011) Validity and reliability of the social support scale for exercise behavior in diabetic women. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 23, 730–741.
17.
PapathanasiouG.GeorgoudisG.GeorgakopoulosD.KatsourasC.KalfakakouV.EvangelouA. (2010) Criterion-related validity of the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire against exercise capacity in young adults. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 17, 380–386.
18.
PapathanasiouG.GeorgoudisG.PapandreouM.SpyropoulosP.GeorgakopoulosD.KalfakakouV.EvangelouA. (2009) Reliability measures of the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in Greek young adults. Hellenic Journal of Cardiology, 50, 283–294.
19.
RovniakL. S.AndersonE. S.WinettR. A.StephensR. S. (2002) Social cognitive determinants of physical activity in young adults: A prospective structural equation analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 149–156.
20.
RussellD. W. (2002) The search of underlying dimensions: The use (and abuse) of factor analysis in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1629–1646.
21.
SallisJ. F.GrossmanR. M.PinskiR. B.PattersonT. L.NaderP. R. (1987) The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors. Preventive Medicine, 16, 825–836.
22.
SavelaS.KoistinenP.TilvisR. S.StrandbergA. Y.PitkalaK. H.SalomaaV. V.MiettinenT. A.StrandbergT. E. (2010) Leisure-time physical activity, cardiovascular risk factors and mortality during a 34-yr. follow-up in men. European Journal of Epidemiology, 25, 619–625.
23.
SteigerJ. H. (1990) Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 25, 173–180.
24.
Sylvia-BobiakS.CaldwellL. L. (2006) Factors related to physically active leisure among college students. Leisure Sciences, 28, 73–89.
25.
TabachnickB. G.FidellL. S. (2005) Using multivariate statistics. (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
26.
TheodoropoulouE.KarteroliotisK. (2012) Validation of the Greek version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. Paper presented at the 17th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science, Bruges, Belgium, July 4–7.
27.
WeirJ. P. (2005) Quantifying test-retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient and the SEM. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19, 231–240.
28.
Wendel-VosW.DroomersM.KremersS.BrugJ.LentheF. (2007) Potential environmental determinants of physical activity in adults: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 8, 425–440.
29.
World Health Organization. (2010) Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press.
30.
YatesT.DaviesM. J.GrayL. J.WebbD.HensonJ.GillJ. M. R.SattarN.KhuntiK. (2010) Levels of physical activity and relationship with markers of diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk in 5474 white European and South Asian adults screened for Type 2 diabetes. Preventive Medicine, 51, 290–294.
