Development and evaluation of the perceived variety-support in physical education scale (PVSPES).

The provision of variety has been posited to influence motivation in physical education. Therefore, the aim of this 3-phase study was to design and evaluate a brief scale to assess ratings of variety-support in physical education. In Phase 1, 20 experts were invited to review the developed items of the Perceived Variety-Support in Physical Education (PVSPE) scale. In Phase 2, factorial validity of item responses was assessed in a sample of adolescents aged 12-14 years (n = 265). In Phase 3, test-retest reliability was determined over a one-week period (n = 100). A one-factor model resulted in "good" fit to the data (χ2(21) = 43.265, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.952, RMSEA = 0.089; factor loading estimates showed that indicators were highly related to the factor (range: 0.60 to 0.93); and ICC was 0.98, 95% CI [0.97 to 0.98]. Our results provide initial evidence for the validity, measurement invariance, and test-retest reliability of scores derived from the VSPE scale for use with adolescents.

An evaluation of the behaviour-change techniques used on Canadian cancer centre Web sites to support physical activity behaviour for breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Cancer centre Web sites can be a useful tool for distributing information about the benefits of physical activity for breast cancer (bca) survivors, and they hold potential for supporting health behaviour change. However, the extent to which cancer centre Web sites use evidence-based behaviour change techniques to foster physical activity behaviour among bca survivors is currently unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presentation of behaviour-change techniques on Canadian cancer centre Web sites to promote physical activity behaviour for bca survivors. METHODS: All Canadian cancer centre Web sites (n = 39) were evaluated by two raters using the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London-Refined (calo-re) taxonomy of behaviour change techniques and the eEurope 2002 Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites. Descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: The most common behaviour change techniques used on Web sites were providing information about consequences in general (80%), suggesting goal-setting behaviour (56%), and planning social support or social change (46%). Overall, Canadian cancer centre Web sites presented an average of M = 6.31 behaviour change techniques (of 40 that were coded) to help bca survivors increase their physical activity behaviour. Evidence of quality factors ranged from 90% (sites that provided evidence of readability) to 0% (sites that provided an editorial policy). CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide preliminary evidence that, of 40 behaviour-change techniques that were coded, fewer than 20% were used to promote physical activity behaviour to bca survivors on cancer centre Web sites, and that the most effective techniques were inconsistently used. On cancer centre Web sites, health promotion specialists could focus on emphasizing knowledge mobilization efforts using available research into behaviour-change techniques to help bca survivors increase their physical activity.

Transformational teaching and adolescent physical activity: multilevel and mediational effects.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity is associated with a range of physical and psychological health benefits. In North America the majority of adolescents are insufficiently active. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prospective relationship between adolescents' perceptions of transformational leadership displayed by their school physical education teachers and their own physical activity behaviors, both with respect to within-class physical activity (WCPA) and also leisure time physical activity (LTPA). METHOD: The study used a prospective observational design. Using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM), we examined the extent to which adolescents' affective attitudes mediated the effects of teachers' behaviors on adolescents' physical activity responses. Two thousand nine hundred and forty-eight adolescents (M age = 14.33, SD = 1.00, N female = 1,641, 55.7 %) from 133 Grade 8-10 classes in British Columbia (Canada) provided ratings of their physical education teachers' behaviors midway through the school year. Two months later, students completed measures of affective attitudes, WCPA, and LTPA. RESULTS: The results indicated that adolescents' perceptions of transformational teaching explained significant variance in both WCPA and LTPA, and these effects were fully mediated by adolescents' affective attitudes (total indirect effect: b = 0.581, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that transformational leadership behaviors displayed by physical education teachers may be an important source of adolescent enjoyment of physical education as well as health-enhancing physical activity involvement within school and outside of school.