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The objective of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for responses to the newly expanded version of the I COPPE Actions scale from adults with obesity under an exploratory latent variable approach. Longitudinal data from the 2018 Fun For Wellness Effectiveness Trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854) were reanalyzed in the current study. The a priori measurement theory specified a six-dimensional correlated structure of well-being actions to govern responses to the I COPPE Actions scale: "I"nterpersonal, "O"ccupational, "C"ommunity, "P"hysical, "P"sychological, and "E"conomic. The a priori measurement model exhibited exact fit to well-being actions data at baseline within an exploratory latent variable approach. There was strong evidence for at least partial measurement invariance by time for responses to the scale. Convergent (or divergent) correlations between concordant (or discordant) pairs of well-being actions self-efficacy scores and latent well-being action factors provided strong evidence for hypothesized relationships to other theoretically relevant variables.

The objective of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for responses to the newly developed Well-Being Actions Self-Efficacy (WBASE) scale from adults with obesity under an exploratory latent variable approach. Longitudinal data (N[subscript baseline] = 667 and N[subscript 30 days post-baseline] = 550) from the Well-Being and Physical Activity study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854), which deployed the Fun For Wellness (FFW) intervention, were analyzed. The a priori measurement model exhibited close fit to baseline data within an exploratory framework. Similarly, there was strong evidence for at least partial temporal measurement invariance for the a priori WBASE scale measurement model. Convergent (and divergent) correlations between concordant (and discordant) pairs of well-being actions scores at baseline and latent well-being actions self-efficacy factors at 30 days post-baseline were observed. There was mixed evidence for the effectiveness of the FFW intervention to exert a direct effect on latent well-being actions self-efficacy at 30 days post-baseline.

Factor analysis of ordered categorical indicators in kinesiology is pervasive. However, some assumptions made regarding the indicators within methods commonly used in this research may increase analytic errors. Methods that relax these assumptions have been available for decades, but uptake has been slow. Therefore, the methodological focus of this tutorial was factor analysis of ordered categorical indicators. Self-efficacy has been one of the most important psychosocial constructs in physical activity research for decades. Unfortunately, sub-optimal practices in constructing self-efficacy scales in physical activity contexts are frequently observed and decrease validity for scores produced from responses to these instruments. Guidelines for constructing self-efficacy scales have been available for decades, but adherence remains inconsistent. Therefore, the substantive focus of this tutorial was measurement of self-efficacy in physical activity contexts. The synergy within this tutorial was factor analysis of simulated ordered categorical responses to self-efficacy indicators. Annotated files from Mplus and R are provided.

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a summary of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES)-related activities in 2021. Manuscripts submitted: In 2021 original submissions (i.e., not counting revised manuscripts) increased by [approximately]20% as compared to 2020. Fifty-eight countries were represented across the 464 original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2022. Manuscripts submitted by section: The seven sections of MPEES are: (1) exercise science, (2) physical activity, (3) physical education pedagogy, (4) psychology, (5) research methodology and statistics, (6) sport management and administration, and (7) tutorial and teacher's toolbox. More than three-fourths of the manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 were submitted to one of three sections: exercise science or physical activity or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022. Review process: Each of the original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2021 had received an initial decision by April 4, 2022 (i.e., 464 of the 464 manuscripts received). When an immediate decision (e.g., desk-rejection) was rendered by the editor-in-chief it always (i.e., for 369 of 369 manuscripts) occurred within 10 days of receiving the manuscript. When a manuscript was assigned to a section editor by the editor-in-chief it typically (i.e., for 91 of 95 manuscripts) received an initial decision within 90 days of receiving the manuscript. Twenty-four countries were represented across reviewers for the original manuscripts sent out for external review by MPEES in 2021. We gratefully acknowledge, and list in the Appendix, the many scholars (N = 151) from around the world who served as a reviewer for MPEES in 2021. Manuscripts published: Volume 25 (i.e., the volume published in 2021) of MPEES published a total of 37 manuscripts. More than two-thirds of the published manuscripts were submitted to one of two sections: exercise science or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2022. Fourteen countries were represented across the manuscripts published in Volume 25 of MPEES. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts written by one or more authors from around the world in 2022. Impact factor: The 2020 impact factor for MPEES was 2.30 representing an increase of [approximately]31% compared to 2019 when the journal's impact factor was 1.75. The value of the 2020 impact factor placed MPEES in the second quartile (i.e., ranked #131 out of 265 journals) within the Education & Educational Research category of Clarivate Analytics. The 2021 impact factor for MPEES is expected to be released in [approximately]June 2022.

In physical education and exercise science, it is common to examine mean differences between groups or to assess change across time. However, before group differences or change can be confidently examined, measurement invariance can be tested. Measurement invariance tests the equivalence of a construct across groups or across time. If measurement invariance is supported, then differences in latent means can more confidently be attributed to individuals' different standings on a construct. Though an important first step to confidently examine group differences and change across time, this technique is sometimes not used in the field. Thus, the purpose of this manuscript was to provide a didactic review and illustration of measurement invariance within the field. We review a methodological approach to measurement invariance, the sequential steps used in this approach, assessing model-data fit, and testing partial invariance. We provide an illustration of the technique and conclude with practical considerations.

Self-efficacy is a psychosocial determinant of physical activity in adults. Different scales have been used to measure physical activity self-efficacy. This review examines the theoretical and measurement quality of scales measuring physical activity self-efficacy in physical activity-promoting interventions. The search strategy was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were included if they measured physical activity self-efficacy in adults aged 18 to 65. One hundred sixteen studies were reviewed. Fourteen multi-item and five single-item scales were identified. The properties of the scales varied. The following issues were identified: (a) a lack of concordance between self-efficacy and physical activity measurement, (b) not specifying physical activity levels, (c) theoretically imprecise construct labels, (d) not emphasizing essential conceptual properties, (e) not reporting dimensionality and (f) the use of single-item measures. The scales showed good administrative properties. Recommendations are made to improve the measurement of physical activity self-efficacy.

Missing data incidents are common in experimental studies of motor learning and development. Inadequate handling of missing data may lead to serious problems, such as addition of bias, reduction in power, and so on. Thus, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the past (2007) and present (2017) practices used for reporting and analyzing missing data in motor learning and development. For this purpose, the authors reviewed 309 articles from five journals focusing on motor learning and development studies and published in 2007 and 2017. The authors carefully reviewed each article using a six-stage review process to assess the reporting and analyzing practices. Reporting of missing data along with reasons for their presence was consistently high across time, which slightly increased in 2017. Researchers predominantly used older methods (mainly deletion) for analysis, which only showed a small increase in the use of newer methods in 2017. While reporting practices were exemplary, missing data analysis calls for serious attention. Improvements in missing data handling may have the merit to address some of the major issues, such as underpowered studies, in motor learning and development.

Longitudinal measurement enables the examination of behavioral or psychological change. One approach to examining longitudinal measurements is the use of latent growth curve modeling (LGCM). This approach affords the assessment of inter- and intraindividual change. Yet, this approach likely is underused in exercise science. The purpose of the current study was to describe and demonstrate the use of LGCM to examine change using multiple measurements in the field of exercise science. We first provide a substantive review of LGCM. We highlight the use of unconditional models to find an appropriate model of change, how and why to utilize autoregressions, and how to examine predictors of change in conditional models. We then provide an illustration of the approach using data from the Michigan State Motor Performance Study. In the conclusion, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the approach and suggest future directions when assessing longitudinal data in exercise science.

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a summary of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES)-related activities in 2020. In 2020 original submissions (i.e., not counting revised manuscripts) increased by ~84% as compared to 2019. Fifty-three countries were represented across the 386 original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2020. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2021. The seven sections of MPEES are as follows: (1) exercise science; (2) physical activity; (3) physical education pedagogy; (4) psychology; (5) research methodology and statistics; (6) sport management and administration; and (7) tutorial and teacher's toolbox. More than three-fourths of the manuscripts that were submitted to MPEES in 2020 were submitted to one of the three sections: exercise science or physical activity or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2021. All of the original manuscripts that were submitted to MPEES in 2020 had received an initial decision by May 3, 2021 (i.e., 386 of the 386 manuscripts received). When an immediate decision (e.g., desk-rejection) was rendered by the editor-in-chief it always (i.e., for 288 of 288 manuscripts) occurred within 10 days of receiving the manuscript. When a manuscript was assigned to a section editor by the editor-in-chief it typically (i.e., for 90 of 98 manuscripts) received an initial decision within 90 days of receiving the manuscript. Twenty-three countries were represented across reviewers for the original manuscripts that were sent out for external review by MPEES in 2020. We gratefully acknowledge, and list in the Appendix, the many scholars (N = 176) from around the world who served as a reviewer for MPEES in 2020. Volume 24 (i.e., the volume published in 2020) of MPEES published a total of 32 manuscripts. More than three-fourths of the published manuscripts were submitted to one of the three sections: exercise science or physical activity or research methodology and statistics. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2021. Eleven countries were represented across the manuscripts published in Volume 24 of MPEES. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts written by one or more authors from around the world in 2021. The 2019 impact factor for MPEES (released in ~June 2020) was 1.75. The value of this impact factor placed MPEES in the second quartile (i.e., ranked #115 out of 263 journals) within the Education & Educational Research category of Clarivate Analytics.

Physical activity (PA) promotion is an ideal intervention target for public health because it has the potential to help individuals feel better, sleep better, and perform daily tasks more easily, in addition to providing disease prevention benefits. There is strong evidence that individual-level theory-based behavioral interventions are effective for increasing PA in adult populations but causal inference for potential specific pathways by which (i.e. how) these interventions exert total effects (i.e. direct and indirect) is often unclearly articulated – though frequently attempted to be estimated. Thus, the three objectives of this tutorial were to demonstrate (a) common cause confounding assumptions required for identification of direct and indirect causal effects; (b) how to estimate identified direct and indirect causal effects of an individual-level theory-based PA-promoting intervention; (c) how to perform sensitivity to violation of common cause confounding assumption(s) analyses. The demonstration was based on the Well-Being and Physical Activity study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purported benefits of online physical activity interventions, in terms of reduced costs, high reach, and easy access, may not be fully realized if participants do not engage with the programs. However, there is a lack of research on modifiable predictors (e.g., beliefs) of engagement with online physical activity interventions. The objective of this brief report was to investigate if self-efficacy to engage at baseline predicted subsequent engagement behavior in an online physical activity intervention at post-baseline. Methods: Data (N = 331) from the 2018 Fun For Wellness effectiveness trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854) were analyzed in this brief report. Multiple logistic regressionwas fit inMplus 8 using maximum-likelihood estimation. Results: There was evidence that self-efficacy to engage beliefs at baseline positively predicted subsequent engagement behavior in the Fun For Wellness intervention at 30 days post-baseline. Conclusions: Some recommendations to increase self-efficacy to engage in future online physical activity intervention studies were provided consistent with self-efficacy theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity promotion is a best buy for public health because it has the potential to help individuals feel better, sleep better, and perform daily tasks more easily, in addition to providing disease prevention benefits. There is strong evidence that individual-level theory-based behavioral interventions are effective for increasing physical activity levels in adult populations but causal inference from these interventions often is unclearly articulated. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) can be, but rarely is, used to determine if the causal effect of an individual-level theory-based physical activity-promoting intervention is identifiable (e.g. stripped of any spurious association). The primary objective of the current study was to demonstrate how a DAG can be used to determine if the total causal effect of an individual randomized physical activity-promoting intervention is identifiable. The demonstration was based on the Well-Being and Physical Activity study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854). Annotated files from DAGitty and Mplus are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a summary of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES)-related activities in 2019. Manuscripts submitted: In 2019 original submissions (i.e., not counting revised manuscripts) increased by ~52% as compared to 2018. Thirty nine countries were represented across the 210 original manuscripts submitted to MPEES in 2019. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2020. Manuscripts submitted by section: The seven sections of MPEES are: (1) exercise science, (2) physical activity, (3) physical education pedagogy, (4) psychology, (5) research methodology and statistics, (6) sport management and administration, and (7) tutorial and teacher's toolbox. Approximately two-thirds of the manuscripts that were submitted to MPEES in 2019 were submitted to either the exercise science section or the physical activity section. MPEES continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2020. Review process: Most of the original manuscripts that were submitted to MPEES in 2019 had received an initial decision by February 14, 2020 (i.e., 209 of the 210 manuscripts received). When an immediate decision was rendered by the editor-in-chief it always (i.e., for 129 of 129 manuscripts) occurred within 10 days of receiving the manuscript. When a manuscript was assigned to a section editor by the editor-in-chief it typically (i.e., for 71 of 80 manuscripts) received an initial decision within 90 days of receiving the manuscript. Fourteen countries were represented across reviewers for the original manuscripts that were sent out for external review by MPEES in 2019. We gratefully acknowledge, and list in the Appendix, the many scholars (N = 151) from around the world who served as a reviewer for MPEES in 2019. Manuscripts published: Volume 23 (i.e., the volume published in 2019) of MPEES published a total of 34 manuscripts. More than three-fourths of the published manuscripts were submitted to the physical activity section, the exercise science section, the research methodology and statistics section, or the sport management and administration section. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2020. Thirteen countries were represented across the manuscripts published in Volume 23 of MPEES. MPEES continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts written by one or more authors from around the world in 2020. Impact factor: On January 6th 2020 Clarivate Analytics notified the Taylor & Francis Group that MPEES (beginning with Volume 21(1) 2017) has been selected coverage in: Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch), Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Social Sciences Citation Index®, Journal Citation Reports/Social Sciences Edition, Current Contents®/Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Current Contents®/Clinical Medicine. MPEES should receive its first impact factor in the 2019 impact factor release in June 2020!

Infant looking patterns during interaction offer an early window into social and nonsocial engagement. Recent evidence indicates that infant looks exhibit temporal dependency-one look duration predicts the next look duration. It is unknown, however, whether temporal dependency emerges as infants structure their own looking or whether it is influenced by interaction. We examined whether a perturbation of social interaction affected temporal dependency. Using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face procedure, we compared temporal dependency during parental interaction (the Face-to-Face & Reunion episodes) to parental non-responsiveness (the Still-Face episode). Overall, the durations of successive infant looks were predictable; past behavior constrained current behavior. The duration of one look at the parent (Face Look) predicted the duration of the next Face Look. Likewise, the duration of a look at any place that was not the parent's face (Away Look) predicted the duration of the next Away Look. The temporal dependency of Face Looks (social engagement) was unaffected by the Still-Face perturbation, but the temporal dependency of Away Looks (nonsocial engagement) declined during the Still-Face. Infant temporal structuring of engagement during social looking is not dependent on parental interaction while the disruption of interaction affects infants' structuring of their own non-social engagement.

Although looking time is used to assess infant perceptual and cognitive processing, little is known about the temporal structure of infant looking. To shed light on this temporal structure, 127 three-month-olds were assessed in an infant-controlled habituation procedure and presented with a pre-recorded display of a woman addressing the infant using infant-directed speech. Previous individual look durations positively predicted subsequent look durations over a six look window, suggesting a temporal dependency between successive infant looks. The previous look duration continued to predict the subsequent look duration after accounting for habituation-linked declines in look duration, and when looks were separated by an inter-trial interval in which no stimulus was displayed. Individual differences in temporal dependency, the strength of associations between consecutive look durations, are distinct from individual differences in mean infant look duration. Nevertheless, infants with stronger temporal dependency had briefer mean look durations, a potential index of stimulus processing. Temporal dependency was evident not only between individual infant looks but between the durations of successive habituation trials (total looking within a trial). Finally, temporal dependency was evident in associations between the last look at the habituation stimulus and the first look at a novel test stimulus. Thus temporal dependency was evident across multiple timescales (individual looks and trials comprised of multiple individual looks) and persisted across conditions including brief periods of no stimulus presentation and changes from a familiar to novel stimulus. Associations between consecutive look durations over multiple timescales and stimuli suggest a temporal structure of infant attention that has been largely ignored in previous work on infant looking.

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is a commonly used statistical technique. Recommendations for evaluating CFA highlight scholars should outline the expected model, conduct data screening, report model estimation and evaluation, and report key information about results to provide evidence for latent variables. The purpose of the current study was to review and evaluate the use of CFA in research published from 2013 to 2022 in the journal of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES), the most measurement focused journal in kinesiology, in our view. Results were cross-checked by examining research published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport during the same time period. Strengths included providing information about the expected model, evaluating the final model, and reporting parameter estimates. Areas for improvement included conducting data screening and evaluating factor quality. Finally, recommendations for scholars to improve reporting of CFA in kinesiology are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this annual report is to provide a summary of measurement in physical education and exercise science-related activities in 2017. A recent trend for an annual increase in manuscript submissions to measurement in physical education and exercise science continued in 2017. Twenty-nine countries were represented (i.e., corresponding author) with the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, and Australia collectively accounting for slightly more than two-thirds of the submissions. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2018. More than three-quarters of the manuscripts that were submitted to measurement in physical education and exercise science in 2017 were submitted to the exercise science section or the physical activity section or the research methodology and statistics section. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submissions within each of the seven sections that comprise the journal in 2018. We also gratefully acknowledge the many scholars from around the world who served as a reviewer for measurement in physical education and exercise science in 2017. Twenty-two countries were represented with the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany collectively accounting for more than 85% of the total number of reviewers. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality manuscript reviews from around the world in 2018. Volume 21 (i.e., the volume published in 2017) of measurement in physical education and exercise science published a total of 26 manuscripts. More than three-quarters of the published manuscripts were submitted to the research methodology and statistics section or the physical education pedagogy section or the exercise science section or the physical activity section. Twelve countries were represented with the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia collectively accounting for approximately three-fourths of the publications. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to strive for publishing high-quality manuscripts from around the world in 2018.

This report documents the fifth National Academy of Kinesiology Doctoral Program Evaluation (DPE) for U.S. doctoral programs in kinesiology. Three years (2020–2022) of data were collected and analyzed from doctoral programs at 35 institutions. Eleven faculty indices and six student indices were used to rank doctoral programs. Total T-scores (unadjusted and adjusted for both faculty size and outlying scores) were calculated to create two rankings. Correlations of indices' T-scores with total T-score were calculated to inform potential refinement of the National Academy of Kinesiology DPE. Participating programs varied widely in title, disciplinary emphasis/Classification of Instructional Program code, and number (5–37) of faculty. The mean number of doctoral faculty and students increased from the fourth DPE cycle. The correlations of most indices with total program T-score had values similar to those reported in the previous DPE cycles. Demographic data are reported and discussed for ranked and some unranked indices for program benchmarking and consideration for refinement of future DPE cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the validity of evidence for self-efficacy to regulate physical activity scale (SERPA) measurement using an exploratory latent variable approach. The objectives were to explore the dimensionality, temporal invariance, and external validity of scores produced by the SERPA, a modified version of the barriers self-efficacy scale. Data (Nbaseline= 461 and N30 days post-baseline = 427) from the Well-Being and Physical Activity Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854), which deployed the Fun For Wellness intervention, were analyzed. A two-dimensional factor structure explained responses to the SERPA at baseline. There was evidence for at least partial strict temporal measurement invariance for this two-dimensional structure. There was evidence for external validity of the SERPA measurement as evidenced by group assignment (i.e. the intervention) exerting a direct effect on the proposed two-dimensional structure of latent self-efficacy to regulate physical activity in adults with obesity at 30 days post-baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire (IBQ) in Sport assesses athlete perceptions of coach interpersonal behaviors that support or thwart athletes' basic psychological needs. While different sources of validity evidence for responses to the IBQ have been provided for adults, only validity evidence for relations to other variables has been provided with youth. Moreover, potential problems with internal structure for youths' responses to the IBQ have recently been noted and motivated the current study. Specifically, a three-phase mixed-methods design was employed to provide validity evidence for modification of the IBQ for youth. Phase I empirically examined the internal structure for youth athletes' responses to the IBQ. Phase II used cognitive think-aloud interviews to identify and then modify problematic IBQ items to create the Youth Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire in Sport (Y-IBQ). Phase III examined the psychometric properties of the Y-IBQ to provide initial validity evidence for this instrument in a youth athlete sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to improve the measurement of physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) in adults with obesity. To accomplish this objective, a latent variable approach was used to explore dimensionality, temporal invariance, and external validity of responses to a newly developed battery of PASE scales. Data (Nbaseline = 461 and N30 days postbaseline = 427) from the Well-Being and Physical Activity Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854), which deployed the Fun For Wellness intervention, were analyzed. A two-dimensional factor structure explained responses to each PASE scale at baseline. There was strong evidence for at least partial temporal measurement invariance for this two-dimensional structure in each PASE scale. There was mixed evidence that the effectiveness of the Fun For Wellness intervention exerted a direct effect on latent PASE in adults with obesity at 30 days postbaseline (i.e., external validity) of this two-dimensional structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundInsufficient physical activity in the adult population is a global pandemic. Fun for Wellness (FFW) is a self-efficacy theory- and Web-based behavioral intervention developed to promote growth in well-being and physical activity by providing capability-enhancing opportunities to participants. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FFW to increase physical activity in adults with obesity in the United States in a relatively uncontrolled setting. MethodsThis was a large-scale, prospective, double-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited through an online panel recruitment company. Adults with overweight were also eligible to participate, consistent with many physical activity–promoting interventions for adults with obesity. Also consistent with much of the relevant literature the intended population as simply adults with obesity. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (ie, FFW) or the usual care (ie, UC) group via software code that was written to accomplish equal allocations to the FFW and UC groups. Data collection was Web based, fully automated, and occurred at three time points: baseline, 30 days after baseline (T2), and 60 days after baseline (T3). Participants (N=461) who were assigned to the FFW group (nFFW=219) were provided with 30 days of 24-hour access to the Web-based intervention. A path model was fit to the data consistent with the FFW conceptual model for the promotion of physical activity. ResultsThere was evidence for a positive direct effect of FFW on transport-related physical activity self-efficacy (beta=.22, P=.02; d=0.23), domestic-related physical activity self-efficacy (beta=.22, P=.03; d=0.22), and self-efficacy to regulate physical activity (beta=.16, P=.01; d=0.25) at T2. Furthermore, there was evidence for a positive indirect effect of FFW on physical activity at T3 through self-efficacy to regulate physical activity at T2 (beta=.42, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.14). Finally, there was evidence for a null direct effect of FFW on physical activity (beta=1.04, P=.47; d=0.07) at T3. ConclusionsThis study provides some initial evidence for both the effectiveness (eg, a positive indirect effect of FFW on physical activity through self-efficacy to regulate physical activity) and the ineffectiveness (eg, a null direct effect of FFW on physical activity) of the FFW Web-based behavioral intervention to increase physical activity in adults with obesity in the United States. More broadly, FFW is a scalable Web-based behavioral intervention that may effectively, although indirectly, promote physical activity in adults with obesity and therefore may be useful in responding to the global pandemic of insufficient physical activity in this at-risk population. Self-efficacy to regulate physical activity appears to be a mechanism by which FFW may indirectly promote physical activity in adults with obesity. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03194854; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03194854.

The purpose of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for measuring multidimensional subjective well-being in a Hispanic sample with the Interpersonal, Community, Occupational, Physical, Psychological, Economic (I COPPE) Scale. Participants were 641 English-speaking adults who self-identified as Hispanic. Bi-factor analyses were used to evaluate (a) the a priori measurement theory for responses to the I COPPE Scale and (b) convergent relationships of the seven I COPPE subjective well-being factors with scores from established comparison instruments. There was evidence that (a) the a priori hypothesized measurement theory for responses to the I COPPE Scale emerged in an exploratory bi-factor analysis and (b) the I COPPE subjective well-being factors exhibited convergent relationships with scores from comparison instruments. Use of the I COPPE Scale to derive multidimensional measures of subjective well-being may be of potential utility to future research in the interdisciplinary study of human movement and in a diversity of populations in which health disparities may exist.

The objective of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for responses to the newly expanded version of the I COPPE Actions scale from adults with obesity under an exploratory latent variable approach. Longitudinal data from the 2018 Fun For Wellness Effectiveness Trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854) were reanalyzed in the current study. The a priori measurement theory specified a six-dimensional correlated structure of well-being actions to govern responses to the I COPPE Actions scale: Interpersonal, Occupational, Community, Physical, Psychological, and Economic. The a priori measurement model exhibited exact fit to well-being actions data at baseline within an exploratory latent variable approach. There was strong evidence for at least partial measurement invariance by time for responses to the scale. Convergent (or divergent) correlations between concordant (or discordant) pairs of well-being actions self-efficacy scores and latent well-being action factors provided strong evidence for hypothesized relationships to other theoretically relevant variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of information and communication technology to improve health, known as eHealth, is an emerging concept in healthcare that may present opportunities to promote physical activity in adults with obesity. The purpose of this research was to systematically review eHealth intervention studies to promote physical activity in adults with obesity. Five electronic databases were used. Two authors screened articles, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data independently. A qualitative data synthesis for summarizing the findings was performed using harvest plots. In the search, 2276 articles were identified, and 18 studies met all inclusion criteria. Study quality ranged from poor to good. The included studies varied in intervention technology (e.g., web-based), physical activity assessment (e.g., device-based), and control group (e.g., wait-list). Behavioral change techniques used in the included studies were consistent with some techniques (e.g., self-monitoring) known as effective in face-to-face interventions, but more efficiently employed in eHealth using information and communication technology. Overall, this systematic review showed that a web-based or physical activity monitor-based eHealth intervention had the potential to effectively promote physical activity in adults with obesity. Some recommendations for future eHealth interventions to promote physical activity in adults with obesity were provided (e.g., use of theory, accelerometers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fun For Wellness (FFW) online intervention to increase well-being actions in adults with obesity in the United States in relatively uncontrolled settings. The FFW intervention is guided by self-efficacy theory. The study design was a large-scale, prospective, double-blind, and parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Data collection occurred at baseline, 30 days after baseline, and 60 days after baseline. Participants (N = 667) who were assigned to the FFW group (nFFW = 331) were provided with 30 days of 24-hr access to FFW. Supportive evidence was provided for the effectiveness of FFW in real-world settings to promote, either directly or indirectly, three dimensions of well-being actions: community, occupational, and psychological. This study shows that theory-based intervention may be effective in promoting well-being actions in adults with obesity in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), states were required to develop a State Performance Plan (SPP; U.S. Department of Education, 2011) addressing 20 accountability indicators for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21. First and arguably foremost among these is Indicator 1, the ''percent of youth with IEPs [Individualized Education Programs] graduating from high school with a regular diploma'' (Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP], 2012). Reasons for the prominence of this indicator are well-known. Graduation from high school is a predictor of many critical outcomes in adulthood, including psychosocial well-being (Liem, Dillon, & Gore, 2001), physical health (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007; Winkleby, Jatulis, Fran, & Fortmann, 1992), longevity (Molla, Madans, & Wagener, 2004), employment (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2002), and earnings (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). However, district-level reporting requirements of the State Performance Plan do not take into account key factors that are known to affect graduation rates and that are beyond the control of individual school districts. An analysis of four years of accountability data from a large southeastern state showed that district differences in graduation rates for students with disabilities were highly related to sociodemographic factors including district poverty, the percentage of students with disabilities who were Black or African American, and the percentage of students with disabilities who were Hispanic. Differences in graduation rates were not related to district size. This article discusses the study's findings and implications for district accountability and offers recommendations for district administrators.

Previous research has demonstrated that differential item functioning (DIF) methods that do not account for multilevel data structure could result in too frequent rejection of the null hypothesis (i.e., no DIF) when the intraclass correlation coefficient (?) of the studied item was the same as the ? of the total score. The current study extended previous research by comparing the performance of DIF methods when ? of the studied item was less than ? of the total score, a condition that may be observed with considerable frequency in practice. The performance of two simple and frequently used DIF methods that do not account for multilevel data structure, the Mantel-Haenszel test (MH) and logistic regression (LR), was compared with the performance of a complex and less frequently used DIF method that does account for multilevel data structure, hierarchical logistic regression (HLR). Simulation indicated that HLR and LR performed equivalently in terms of significance tests under most conditions, and MH was conservative across most of the conditions. Effect size estimate of HLR was equally accurate and consistent as effect size estimates of LR and MH under the Rasch model and was more accurate and consistent than LR and MH effect size estimates under the two-parameter item response theory model. The results of the current study provide evidence to help researchers further understand the comparative performance between complex and simple modeling for DIF detection under multilevel data structure.

The Rasch model, a member of a larger group of models within item response theory, is widely used in empirical studies. Detection of uniform differential item functioning (DIF) within the Rasch model typically employs null hypothesis testing with a concomitant consideration of effect size (e.g., signed area [SA]). Parametric equivalence between confirmatory factor analysis under the multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) model and the Rasch model has been established. Unlike the Rasch approach to DIF, however, the parallel MIMIC approach to DIF detection has relied exclusively on null hypothesis testing. This study derived an effect size estimator for DIF under the MIMIC model (MIMIC-ES) and then investigated the ability of MIMIC-ES to correctly estimate the magnitude of DIF as compared to the SA approach under the Rasch model (Rasch-ES) in a Monte Carlo study. Variables manipulated were sample size, mean ability difference, DIF size, number of DIF items, and item difficulty levels. Results indicated that MIMIC-ES performed well when there was no mean ability difference. When mean ability difference was present, MIMIC-ES became increasingly imprecise and unstable when the sample size was small for all DIF sizes and number of DIF items. MIMIC-ES outperformed Rasch-ES when the number of DIF items reached 30%. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 9 notes.)

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the number of targets specified on the quality of exploratory factor analysis solutions with a complex underlying structure and incomplete substantive measurement theory. Three Monte Carlo studies were performed based on the ratio of the number of observed variables to the number of underlying factors. Within each study, communality, sample size, and the number of targets were manipulated. Outcomes included a measure of congruence and a measure of variability with regard to the rotated pattern matrix. The magnitude of the main effect for the influence of the number of targets on congruence and variability ranged from moderate to large. The magnitude of the interaction between the number of targets and level of communality ranged from small to moderate with regard to congruence and variability. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the minimum number of targets to specify to be reasonably assured of obtaining an accurate solution varied across study conditions. (Contains 3 tables and 8 footnotes.)

The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvements in order to generate a more valid and credible knowledge base of what works in practice. It was found that 56 meta-analyses followed general recommendations fairly well in problem formulation and data collection, but much improvement is needed in data evaluation and analysis. Particularly, lack of information reported as well as little transparency in the use of statistical methods are concerns for generating credible and generalizable meta-analytic findings that can be transformed to educational practices. Recommendations for yielding more reliable and valid inferences from meta-analyses are provided. (Contains 6 notes and 4 tables.)

The objective of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for responses to the newly developed Well-Being Actions Self-Efficacy (WBASE) scale from adults with obesity under an exploratory latent variable approach. Longitudinal data (Nbaseline = 667 and N30 days post-baseline = 550) from the Well-Being and Physical Activity study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854), which deployed the Fun For Wellness (FFW) intervention, were analyzed. The a priori measurement model exhibited close fit to baseline data within an exploratory framework. Similarly, there was strong evidence for at least partial temporal measurement invariance for the a priori WBASE scale measurement model. Convergent (and divergent) correlations between concordant (and discordant) pairs of well-being actions scores at baseline and latent well-being actions self-efficacy factors at 30 days post-baseline were observed. There was mixed evidence for the effectiveness of the FFW intervention to exert a direct effect on latent well-being actions self-efficacy at 30 days post-baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]