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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Manoj Sharma, PhD, Health Promotion & Education, University of Cincinnati & Walden University, Teachers College 526 J, P. O. Box 210002, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0002, (513) 556-3878, manoj.sharma@uc.edu and Donald I. Wagner, HSD, Health Promotion & Education, University of Cincinnati, P. O. Box 210002, Cinicnnati, OH 45221-0002.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the US. A review of interventions between 2000 and 2005 among elementary students revealed a total of 14 programs. Of these, only six interventions utilized a behavioral theory of which social cognitive theory was the most popular. However, none of the interventions measured changes in theory constructs. If such measurement is done, it becomes easy to decipher which component of the intervention works and to what extent. Thus the behavioral theory can be refined and the intervention made more efficacious. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an instrument that reified the constructs of expectations, self-efficacy and self control for four common behaviors modulated in childhood obesity prevention programs, namely, television viewing, physical activity, fruit/vegetable intake, and water consumption. A 52-item scale was developed and validated (face, content) by a panel of six experts in a two round process. Three panelists were professors of which two were experts in instrumentation/theory and one in child behavior. Three panelists were experts from the schools of which two were experts of target population and one in instrumentation. Institutional Review Board (IRB) permission was obtained. The scale was administered to 159 fifth grade students of which 37 were asked to retake it to calculate test-retest reliability. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability coefficients for all the subscales were found to be over 0.70 and thus acceptable. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed one factor solution for each of the components. Implications for practice are discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation the participants will be able to

• Identify important modifiable behaviors to prevent childhood obesity in children.
• Describe the process of testing the psychometric properties of a new health behavior instrument in children.
• Replicate the process of developing instruments in their settings for a variety of behaviors and their antecedents.
• Use social cognitive theory to design a childhood obesity prevention intervention.

Keywords: Obesity, Children

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 184.0 kb)