The Chinese version of the Outcome Expectations for Exercise scale: validation study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Exercise Science
• Psychometrics and Health Behavior Measurement
• Cross-cultural Health Research

Background:

• The English Outcome Expectations for Exercise (OEE) scale demonstrates good reliability and validity in diverse populations, especially older adults.
• Limited data exists on the OEE scale's performance and cultural applicability among older Chinese adults in community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties, specifically validity and reliability, of a Chinese translation of the Outcome Expectations for Exercise scale (OEE-C).
• To assess the suitability of the OEE-C scale for use with older adults in Taiwan.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional validation study employed the OEE-C scale with 108 older adults in Taiwan (mean age=77.1).
• Reliability was assessed via internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and single-item squared multiple correlations.
• Validity was examined using traditional psychometric tests, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) via structural equation modeling (SEM), and the Mokken Scaling Procedure (MSP).

Main Results:

• The OEE-C scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency (alpha=.85) and satisfactory model fit.
• Criterion-related and construct validity were supported, evidenced by a significant positive correlation between exercise outcome expectations and exercise self-efficacy (r=.34, p<.01).
• The Mokken Scaling Procedure confirmed the retention of all nine items, indicating a reliable and statistically significant scale (p=.0008).

Conclusions:

• The Chinese Outcome Expectations for Exercise scale (OEE-C) demonstrates acceptable reliability and validity for use with older adults in Taiwan.
• Further research is recommended to confirm the generalizability of these findings to older Chinese adults in urban settings.