The Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG): Child-reported Physical Activity Parenting in African American and Non-Hispanic White Families

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a child-report, multidimensional measure of physical activity (PA) parenting, the Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG), in African American and non-Hispanic white families. The ACTS-MG was administered to children aged 5 to 12 years. A three factor model of PA parenting (Modeling of PA, Logistic Support, and Restricting Access to Screen-based Activities) was tested separately for mother's and fathers' PA parenting. The proposed three-factor structure was supported in both racial groups for mothers’ PA parenting and in the African American sample for fathers’ PA parenting. Factorial invariance between racial groups was demonstrated for mother's PA parenting. Building on a previous study examining the ACTS-MG parent-report, this study supports the use of the ACTS-MG child-report for mothers’ PA parenting. However, further research is required to investigate the measurement of fathers’ PA parenting across racial groups.

Keywords:

• child
• measurement
• parent
• physical activity
• physical activity parenting

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Vanessa Sarfoh, Ariel Bernstein, Laurie Young, and Dr Catherine Lawson for their assistance with data collection.

Funding

This research was supported in part by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R24MD001120). AN is supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMHD or the NIH.