Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Physical Activity Parenting Questionnaire for Children

Parental practices play a critical role in shaping children's physical activity behaviors, particularly during early school age when parental influence remains strong. The Physical Activity Parenting Questionnaire for Children (PAP-C) is a child-reported, multidimensional instrument designed for children aged 7-10 years; however, no validated Turkish version is currently available. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the PAP-C. This methodological, cross-sectional study included 279 children aged 7-10 years attending a pediatric outpatient clinic in Türkiye. The PAP-C was translated and culturally adapted following internationally accepted guidelines. Content validity was assessed. Construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω. The study included 279 children (mean age: 8.6 years). The Turkish PAP-C demonstrated strong content validity (S-CVI). Sociodemographic variables showed no significant differences in scale scores, except for higher Involvement scores in children whose fathers had primary school education (p = 0.033). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed an acceptable to good model fit (CFI: 0.923, TLI: 0.913, RMSEA: 0.055). Standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.599 to 0.866. All subscales exceeded empirical thresholds for convergent validity. The total scale showed good reliability (Omega: 0.951). HTMT values confirmed distinct discriminant validity among the three latent factors.

The Turkish version of the PAP-C is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing children's perceptions of physical activity related parenting practices. It provides a culturally appropriate tool for both research and clinical assessment.

• Parental practices are key determinants of children's physical activity behaviors, and children's perceptions of parenting are closely linked to motivation and engagement. • The Physical Activity Parenting Questionnaire for Children is a child-reported, multidimensional instrument grounded in Self-Determination Theory, capturing three parenting domains (Structure for Activity, Autonomy Support, and Involvement) and has been validated only in limited cultural contexts.

• This study provides the first Turkish translation, cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of the Physical Activity Parenting Questionnaire for Children in children aged 7-10 years. • Content validity was established with high item-level content validity index and scale-level content validity index based on the average method scores, demonstrating strong expert agreement on item relevance and cultural appropriateness.