A perceived Benefits and Barriers Scale for strenuous physical activity in college students

Due to relatively low physical activity among college students, a standardized, reliable, and valid scale of perceived benefits and barriers for this population is critical. The purpose of this study was to develop a new scale, the Physical Activity Benefits and Barriers Scale, and determine whether the scale was appropriate for college students.

An exploratory factor analysis of 26 benefit and 24 barrier items of physical activity was administered to 493 college students, followed by an examination of the relationship between the newly derived factors and physical activity, as well as test-retest reliability.

Twenty-eight items loaded on 10 factors that accounted for 60% of the variance, and 9 of the 10 factors were moderately associated with strenuous physical activity.

Psychometric properties were acceptable on this new scale, with the low motivation factor accounting for the highest amount of the variance in strenuous physical activity.