Stages of Physical Activity and Decisional Balance in Elementary School Children

The purpose of the present study was to develop the Children's Stages of Change Scale for Physical Activity (CSCSPA) and the Children's Decisional Balance Inventory for Physical Activity (CDBIPA), which is a method of measuring the benefits (such as feeling better and healthier) and costs (such as being tired and wasting time) of physical activity. All participants were in elementary school grades 4 through 6. Participants in Study I were 201 boys and 200 girls. In Study I, the Children's Stages of Change Scale for Physical Activity was developed and tested. It showed high reliability and validity on the sample. Participants in Study II were 213 boys and 205 girls. Factor analysis revealed that the Children's Decisional Balance Inventory for Physical Activity had a 2-factor structure (the pros and cons of physical activity), consisting of 9 items; the scale showed high reliability and validity. Participants in Study in, conducted to examine the relation between 5 stages of physical activity (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance) and decisional balance, were 202 boys and 201 girls. Decisional balance was calculated by assessing the children's perception of the pros and cons of physical activity. ANOVA revealed that the scores on the Children's Decisional Balance Inventory for Physical Activity differed significantly across stages of physical activity. For both genders, perceived benefits increased and perceived costs decreased as physical activity increased. Using Z scores, the intersection of the pros and cons was located on the "action" stage for boys, and on the "Maintenance" stage for girls.