Adaptation and validation of a scale of self‐efficacy and social support for physical activity in Spanish patients with severe mental disorders

Abstract

Abstract Background People with severe mental disorders (SMDs) suffer problems of obesity, a sedentary life, and poor physical condition, mainly due to low levels of physical activity. Self‐efficacy (SE) and social support (SS) are important components that influence participation in physical activity. Methods This study adapted a scale to assess SE and SS in promoting physical activity in Spanish people with SMDs, as well as provide preliminary evidence of its validity. One hundred Spanish patients (23% female) with SMDs, between 26 and 61 years old, completed the SE/SS assessment for SMD (SE/SS‐ASMD). Results The instrument seemed to capture a four‐factor structure in people with SMDs. Due to the lack of a gold standard, the scale was related to other instruments with which it might be expected to show a correlation, such as those for physical activity and its quality; however, the levels of correlation found were low (≈0.3). The Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) for the SE‐ASMD, SS‐ASMD staff, SS‐ASMD peers, and SS‐ASMD family scales were 0.76, 0.76, 0.80, and 0.80, respectively. Conclusions The psychometric analysis of the SE/SS‐ASMD supported its suitability as a new tool for researchers in the area of physical activity among people with SMDs.

Keywords

• physical activity
• self‐efficacy
• severe mental disorder
• social support