Psychometric properties of instruments to measure parenting practices and children’s movement behaviors in low-income families from Brazil

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity has increased remarkably in low and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time, and sleep) are crucial in the development of overweight and obesity in young children. Yet, few studies have investigated the relationship between children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices because validated measures for use among families from LMIC are lacking. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of previously validated measures of young children’s physical activity, screen time, and sleep and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted to Brazilian families.

Methods

A total of 78 parent-child dyads completed an interviewer-administered survey twice within 7 days. Child physical activity, sedentary time and sleep were concurrently measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was assessed using McDonald’s Omega and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC’s). Concurrent validity was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlations between parent reported child behaviors and accelerometer measured behaviors.

Results

Seventeen of the 19 parenting practices scales exhibited acceptable internal consistency reliability (Ω ≥ 0.70). Test-retest reliability ICC’s were acceptable and ranged from 0.82 - 0.99. Parent reported child physical activity was positively correlated with objectively measured total movement (rho= 0.29 - 0.46, p < .05) and energetic play (rho= 0.29 – 0.40, p < .05). Parent reported child screen time was positively correlated with objectively measured sedentary time; (rho = 0.26, p < .05), and inversely correlated with total movement (rho = - 0.39 – - 0.41, p < .05) and energetic play (rho = - 0.37 – - 0.41, p < .05). Parent reported night-time sleep duration was significantly correlated with accelerometer measured sleep duration on weekdays (rho = 0.29, p < .05), but not weekends.

Conclusions

Measurement tools to assess children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted for use in Brazilian families, exhibited acceptable evidence of concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-021-01320-y.