Development and psychometric properties of a self-efficacy to walk for health scale for use with midlife and older, low-income, African American women

This methodological investigation was conducted to develop and validate a Self-Efficacy to Walk for Health Scale (SEWHS) for use with midlife and older, low-income, African American women. Although self-efficacy is a well-established correlate of physical activity behavior (including walking) in adults, there has been little study of this construct in minority populations. Through a focus group of women representative of the study population, barriers to walking for health were developed for inclusion in the SEWHS. Content validity of the SEWHS was estimated through expert evaluation. Estimates of construct validity and reliability were accomplished through the use of the SEWHS in a survey with its intended population. Instruments included: Self-Rated Health, Self-Rated Weight, Self-Reported Walking for Health, Stage of Change for Walking for Health, and Self-Efficacy to Walk for Health. In the sample of midlife and older, low-income, African American women (N=109), almost half (47%) completed 12 years of education; 47% completed 13 to 18 years. A majority (68%) were overweight or very overweight. Only 3 participants reported walking at the recommended level (30 minutes, 5 days a week). However, in the Stage of Change question, 39% reported walking at this level. The discrepancy between these measures of walking behavior needs further investigation. Exploratory factor analysis of the SEWHS provided evidence of construct validity. SEWHS internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s coefficient alpha) was .92. Correlations between study variables revealed no significant relationships between Self-Efficacy to Walk for Health, walking for health behavior, age, or education. Self-Efficacy was significantly related to Self-Rated Health and Self-Rated Weight. There was a significant relationship between Self-Rated Health and Stage of Change. This study provides new knowledge in the area of measurement of the self-efficacy construct. Psychometric testing of the SEWHS provided preliminary estimates of reliability and validity. However, more studies are needed to verify or modify these findings.