Research Information System
15. Uluslararası Avrupa Spor Bilimleri Kongresi, Antalya, Turkey, 23 - 26 June 2010, pp.662
School-age children physical activity (PA) level had been decreasing in the last three decades (USDHHS, 2000). After-school time represents an important opportunity for the intended level of PA. School context and supportive environment are other critical variables to increase the PA level of children (Haug, Torsheim, & Samdal, 2008). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine children’s self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for after-school PA in two different school context in Turkish children.
Participants were 430 middle school students (nfemale =224 and nmale = 206) from two different schools in Ankara. School A is located in outer suburb with limited physical activity facilities, and school B is located in city center with a better physical and social environment. Data was collected by Children’s Self-Efficacy and Proxy Efficacy for After-School Physical Activity” questionnaire (Dzewaltowski et al., 2009). To adapt the questionnaire into Turkish, firstly, translation- back translation procedure was used. Then, test-retest with two week interval was checked by applying 23 middle school students. Test-retest intraclass correlation (ICC) value was calculated for each subscale of the instrument [self-efficacy (r =.92), staff-efficacy (r= .88) and parent-efficacy (r = .89)]. Cronbach Alpha values for the subscales were acceptable [self-efficacy (.73), personal efficacy (.74), parent efficacy (.80)]. MANOVA indicated statistically significant main effect, Wilks’ Lambda = 94, F(3, 424) = 9.80, p < .05. According to the univariate analysis, there was a difference in self efficacy, staff efficacy, and parent efficacy in favor of school B as compared to school A (p<0.05). There were no significant effects of gender and school-gender interaction (p>0.05) according to the multivariate analysis. Findings indicated a higher self efficacy and proxy efficacy for after-school physical activity in middle school children who were living in a better physical and social environment. There is a need for developing the school and social environment of the students who are living in suburban areas to support their after school physical activity participation.