Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale for Children

The aim of this study was to develop a cardiovascular health behavior scale for children and to assess its psychometric properties.

A cross-sectional, methodological, descriptive, and correlational study design was conducted. The study sample consisted of 745 children between the ages of 10 to 15 years. The content validity of the scale was assessed by consulting 13 experts in pediatrics and cardiovascular health. Numbers, percentages, t-test, correlation analysis, Cronbach's α reliability coefficient and factor analysis were used for data analysis.

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall scale was 0.83, and the Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales were 0.70-0.79. The item-total score correlations ranged from 0.354 to 0.637 (p < .05). The exploratory factor analysis showed that the scale explained 54.65% of the total variance, and the factor loadings of items ranged from 0.48 to 0.84. The confirmatory factor analysis also showed that the factor loadings of the scale ranged from.30 to.83. GFI, NFI, NNFI, CFI were found to be >0.90, and RMSA was found to be <0.080.

All the statistical procedures performed in the validity and reliability stages of the study show that the scale is a valid, reliable measurement tool for the Turkish culture.

The scale can be used as a measurement tool in experimental studies about cardiovascular health and can easily be adapted for use in other societies because of its universal items regarding cardiovascular health and its user-friendly structure.