Validation of newly constructed questionnaire for water movement competencies

Water competences can be defined as the sum of all movements in the water that help prevent drowning. It is related to knowledge about water safety as well as attitudes and behaviors that will facilitate safety in and around the water. Defining aquatics competences in this way aims to raise the awareness of the population and point out that swimming lessons should be started at an early stage of childhood. The aim of the research was to construct and validate the questionnaire for assessing the movement competences in the water. The participants were 684 students of the University of Zagreb. This research involved 344 male participants and 340 female subjects. For the purposes of this research a questionnaire with 22 items was constructed on the importance of water movement competences. The results show acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alfa α ≥ 0.7. The statement Q12 (breathing, shortness of breath, and breathing control are important components of the competences of movement in the water and the statement) showed the highest values (Mean=4.63). It can be concluded that the questionnaire presented here represents a valuable tool for the assessment of movement competences in water showing acceptable validity and reliability. A high level of awareness of the importance of swimming competencies enables safe movement in the environment of the water, but also to enjoy the activities that the aquatic medium provides.