A Psychometric Validation Study of the Chinese Version of the Children's Physical Activity Correlates Scale

Background: A valid and reliable measure of correlates of physical activity behavior is crucial in understanding physical activity behaviors. Thus, establishing psychometric evidence of alternative versions may enhance its utility across different populations and cultures. Objectives: This study aims to translate the Children's Physical Activity Correlates (CPAC) scale into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The CPAC was translated into Chinese (CPAC-C) using a standardized forward-backward translation method, and evaluated for content validity by 18 experts. Following this, structural validity was examined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using data from 475 secondary school students who completed the CPAC-C. Additionally, Cronbach's α analysis was conducted to assess the internal consistency of the CPAC-C. Results: The scale's content validity index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.833 to 1, and the scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.972. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated that the four factors explained 63.820% of the total variance, while the CFA results showcased strong model fit indices (<img src=image/19940659_01.gif>/df=1.611; RMSEA=0.036; GFI=0.879; CFI=0.963; RMR=0.024; TLI=0.960; SRMR=0.027). The Cronbach's α values for each dimension ranged between 0.899 and 0.906, and the split-half reliability across dimensions varied from 0.892 to 0.961. Conclusion: The CPAC-C exhibited robust reliability and validity in a Chinese context. It is an appropriate tool for evaluating factors associated with children's physical activity.