Validation of the Chinese version of the physical activity stages of change questionnaire

Background/Objective: Sharp decline in physical activity has been observed among Chinese youth in recent decades. The transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) provides a useful framework for developing effective intervention programs. Yet the application of the TTM in China has been limited due to the lack of a valid TTM-based questionnaire to examine different stages of physical activity behavior. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to translate the Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (PASCQ), which is a well-validated scale based on the TTM, into Chinese and to test the psychometric properties of this Chinese version. Methods: The PASCQ was translated from English into Chinese and its internal consistency, one-week test–retest reliability and concurrent validity were tested in a sample of Chinese university students. Results: Both the internal consistency and the test–retest reliability satisfied psychometric standards. The Chinese version of the PASCQ also successfully discriminated between individuals with different levels of physical activity, which indicated a good concurrent validity. In particular, participants in the action and maintenance stages reported significantly higher energy expenditure than participants in the precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation stages. Conclusions: The results indicate good reliability and concurrent validity of the Chinese version of the PASCQ. The questionnaire may be profitably used to identify individuals at different stages of physical activity behavior, which may help in physical activity promotion programs among Chinese college students.