Measuring children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy related to fruit and vegetable consumption

BACKGROUND: Social cognitive theory describes self-efficacy and proxy efficacy as influences on fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC). Proxy efficacy was defined as a child's confidence in his or her skills and abilities to get others to act in one's interests to provide fruit and vegetable (FV) opportunities. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale assessing children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for FVC at after-school programs and at home. METHODS: Elementary-aged children (n = 184) attending 7 after-school programs completed a self-efficacy questionnaire relevant to FVC. Questionnaire validity was investigated with exploratory factor analysis and mixed-model analysis of covariance. Internal consistency reliability and readability were also assessed. RESULTS: The questionnaire assessed 4 constructs: self-efficacy expectations for fruit consumption, self-efficacy expectations for vegetable consumption, proxy efficacy to influence parents to make FV available, and proxy efficacy to influence after-school staff to make FV available. Children perceiving FV opportunities in after-school had greater self-efficacy expectations for FVC and greater proxy efficacy to influence after-school staff compared to students who did not perceive FV opportunities. Children attending schools of higher socioeconomic status (SES) and less diversity were more confident they could influence their parents to make FV available than students attending lower SES and less diverse schools. Adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities were established. CONCLUSIONS: Self-efficacy is a multicomponent construct that can be assessed in children using the reliable and valid instrument evaluated by the current study. © 2009, American School Health Association

Children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for after-school physical activity

Problem: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a scale measuring children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for physical activity at after-school programs and at home. Proxy efficacy was defined as children's confidence in their skills and abilities to get adults to act in their interest to provide physical activity opportunities. Methods: Children (grades 4 through 6) attending after-school programs completed a self-efficacy questionnaire relevant to their physical activity. Factorial validity was assessed with an exploratory factor analysis (n = 107) and a confirmatory factor analysis (n = 187). Next, criterion-related validity was assessed using a mixed-model analysis of covariance with school as a random effect and children level variables as fixed effects. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: The questionnaire assessed three separate constructs: self-efficacy to be physically active (SEPA), proxy efficacy to influence parents to provide physical activity opportunities (PEPA-P), and proxy efficacy to influence after-school staff to provide physical activity opportunities (PEPA-S). Males had greater SEPA than females. Children who perceived greater physical activity opportunities during after-school time had greater SEPA, PEPA-P, and PEPA-S than children attending schools with fewer physical activity opportunities. Children attending schools with lower concentrations of racial/ethnic diversity and higher socioeconomic status (SES) had greater PEPA-P compared to children attending greater racial/ethnic diversity and low-SES schools. Conclusions: Self-efficacy for physical activity is a multicomponent construct and can be assessed in elementary-aged children using the reliable and valid instrument confirmed in the current study. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Measurement of self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for middle school youth physical activity

This study developed youth self-efficacy (SEPA) and proxy efficacy (PEPA) measures for physical activity (PA). Proxy efficacy was defined as a youth's confidence in his or her skills and abilities to get others to act in one's interests to create supportive environments for PA. Each spring of their sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade years, middle school students completed SEPA and PEPA questions and then, for 3 days, recalled their previous day's after-school PA. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a four-factor structure (SEPA for 1-3 days, SEPA for 5-7 days, PEPA-Parents, PEPA-School). Across study years, SEPA 1-3 days and 5-7 days increased and PEPA-Parents and PEPA-School decreased. Initial levels of PEPA-Parents and SEPA scales were associated with initial levels of PA. From sixth through seventh grade, changes in SEPA scales were associated with changes in PA. Studies should test whether interventions targeting self-efficacy and proxy efficacy influence PA. © 2007 Human Kinetics, Inc

Healthy youth places: A randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of facilitating adult and youth leaders to promote physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in middle schools

The Healthy Youth Places (HYP) intervention targeted increased fruit and vegetable consumption (FV) and physical activity (PA) through building the environmental change skills and efficacy of adults and youth. HYP included group training for adult school site leaders, environmental change skill curriculum, and youth-led FV and PA environment change teams. Sixteen schools were randomized to either implement the HYP program or not. Participants (N =1,582) were assessed on FV and PA and hypothesized HYP program mediators (e.g., proxy efficacy) at the end of sixth grade (baseline), seventh grade (Postintervention Year 1), and eighth grade (Postintervention Year 2). After intervention, HYP schools did not change in FV but did significantly change in PA compared to control schools. Proxy efficacy to influence school PA environments mediated the program effects. Building the skills and efficacy of adults and youth to lead school environmental change may be an effective method to promote youth PA. © 2009 by SOPHE