Psychometric properties of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale in Mexican elderly women.
María Cristina Enríquez-Reyna, Rosa María Cruz-Castruita, Oswaldo Ceballos-Gurrola and 3 others
PMID 28591306WHAT IT FOUND
In 329 older Mexican women, a Spanish exercise beliefs questionnaire measured perceived benefits reliably, but the barriers part was weaker and needs review before guiding exercise counseling.
Key findings
01The 29-item benefits subscale showed very good item agreement, with an alpha coefficient of .958.
02The 14-item barriers subscale was less stable: its alpha coefficient was .715, and item 21 about partner support had almost no relationship to the rest of the subscale (.002).
03A preliminary short version kept similar reliability estimates: six benefits items had alpha .919, and nine barriers items had alpha .722.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was limited to women aged 60 to 80 years who attended five senior centers in Northeast Mexico, so results may not apply to men, other age groups, or other regions. The study tested how the questionnaire performed. It did not test whether using the scale improves exercise participation or health outcomes. The barriers subscale had lower reliability and poorer fit than the benefits subscale, and item 21 about partner support had almost no relationship to the rest of the subscale. The short versions were preliminary and need confirmation in other Mexican elderly populations. Data were collected in senior centers by physical exercise professionals, so the results may not transfer to clinic or home assessments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the barriers subscale as equally validated. Its item agreement was .715, and item 21 about partner support had almost no relationship to the rest of the subscale (.002), so barrier scores alone should not drive clinical decisions.