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The Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire: development and psychometric testing
1Department of Nursing, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Summary
A new Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire (ALQ) was developed and tested, identifying seven key dimensions of healthy living in adolescents. This validated instrument aids in studying adolescent lifestyle patterns and intervention effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Psychometrics
- Lifestyle Research
Background:
- Assessing healthy lifestyles in adolescents is crucial for public health.
- Existing tools may not comprehensively capture the multifaceted nature of adolescent well-being.
- A validated instrument is needed to guide research and interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and psychometrically test a new instrument to measure healthy lifestyle in adolescents.
- To identify key dimensions of healthy lifestyles relevant to adolescent populations.
- To provide a reliable and valid tool for researchers.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire (ALQ).
- Psychometric testing on 292 adolescents in eastern Canada.
- Utilized item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability measures (Cronbach's alpha).
Main Results:
- Factor analysis identified seven dimensions of healthy lifestyle: identity awareness, nutrition, physical participation, safety, health awareness, social support, and stress management.
- These seven factors explained 56.0% of the variance in the 43-item ALQ.
- The ALQ demonstrated strong reliability with a total scale alpha of .91 and subscale alphas ranging from .60 to .88.
Conclusions:
- The Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire (ALQ) is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring healthy lifestyles in adolescents.
- The identified seven dimensions provide a framework for understanding adolescent well-being.
- Further validation across diverse adolescent populations is recommended to enhance its utility.