Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Sep 2022)

Chinese Translation and Psychometric Testing of the Simplified Version of Social Support Scale for Physical Activity

  • Mao X,
  • Mao X,
  • Yu Y,
  • Guo J

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 2691 – 2700

Abstract

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Xia Mao,1 Xianhua Mao,1 Yu Yu,2 Jia Guo3 1Department of Nursing, Yueyang Vocational Technical College, Yueyang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; 3Department of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jia Guo, Department of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13875947418, Fax +86 0731-82650266, Email [email protected]: Sallis et al’s social support scale for physical activity (SSSPH) is one of the most widely used scales to measure exercise-related social support yet has never been translated and validated in Chinese. The current study aims to simplify, translate, and validate a short form of SSSPH in a Chinese population.Patients and Methods: A simplified Chinese version of the SSSPH (SSSPH-SC) retaining 6 items was achieved after the translation and back-translation process, which showed good content validity. The scale was then assessed among a convenience sample of 266 Chinese adults from various backgrounds. Internal consistency was tested by calculating Cronbach’s α. The a priori two-factor structure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Concurrent validity was examined by investigating the correlation of the SSSPH-SC with general social support, quality of life, and self-rated health.Results: The SSSPH-SC full scale and subscales showed good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.87 to 0.92. The CFA supported the a priori two-factor structure: family support and friend support, with χ 2/df=2.93, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.07, SRMR = 0.035. The concurrent validity of the SSSPH-CS was further supported by its significant positive correlations with social support (r=0.26, p< 0.001), quality of life (r=0.25, p< 0.001), and self-rated general health depression (r=0.23, p< 0.001).Conclusion: The SSSPH-SC had good reliability and validity and could be used as a simple and effective tool for assessing social support for physical activity in Chinese adults. The scale can be used as an effective tool to guide future health promotion programs as well as an evaluation tool to assess intervention effects.Keywords: short form, reliability, validity, confirmatory factor analysis

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