Objectives: This study sought to validate the Barriers to Physical Activity and Disability Survey (B-PADS), a 14-item instrument assessing physical activity barriers among persons with disabilities or chronic health conditions. Methods: Rasch and correlational analyses were used to assess the psychometric properties of the B-PADS. Data were collected from 149 individuals with various types of disabling conditions participating in a five-year health promotion study. Most participants were female (76.6%) and African-American (58.5%). Results: Test-retest reliability (one-week period) of the B-PADS was .62. Rasch analysis revealed near perfect fit of the B-PADS items to the Rasch model (MNSQ=. 99). Average person ability was 0.45, suggesting a slight tendency for persons to obtain high scores on the instrument. The B-PADS evidenced less than ideal (0.45) separation of persons of varying ability, particularly at the high end of the scale. The most difficult barriers included exercise program cost, transportation availability, and knowing where to exercise. The B-PADS correlated significantly with BMI (r=.27), number of secondary conditions (r=.28), self-reported health status (r=-.22) time spent indoors (r=.25) and exercise self-efficacy (r=-.37). Discussion: The results lend support for the reliability and validity of the B-PADS as a measure of physical activity barriers among persons with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Learning Objectives: To increase understanding of barriers to physical activity evidenced by older, predominantly African-American persons with disailities
Keywords: Exercise, Adherence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.