Development and Validation of the Cognitive Behavioral Physical Activity Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Public Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• College students exhibit varied physical activity (PA) levels.
• Understanding social cognitive determinants is crucial for PA interventions.
• Existing measures may not be sufficiently brief or validated for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a brief questionnaire assessing social cognitive determinants of PA.
• To evaluate the questionnaire's ability to predict PA behavior in college students.
• To establish the Cognitive Behavioral Physical Activity Questionnaire (CBPAQ) as a reliable tool.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, observational study with a convenience sample of 827 college students (ages 18-24).
• Survey development involved item generation, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling for validation.
• Replicated validation in an independent sample of 1032 college students.

Main Results:

• The 15-item CBPAQ explained 65% of the questionnaire data and significant variance in total PA (28.6%) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (39.5%).
• Scale scores differentiated across stages of change.
• Validation findings were replicated in the independent sample.

Conclusions:

• The CBPAQ is a validated tool for assessing social cognitive determinants of PA in college students.
• The questionnaire successfully explains and predicts PA behavior.
• The CBPAQ is suitable for future research and interventions to improve PA in this population.