Factorial Invariance of the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey Among Single- Versus Multi-Family Housing Residents

Abstract

Purpose Individual perceptions of one’s neighborhood environment influence decisions about physical activity (PA) participation. Differences between single-family housing neighborhoods vs. multi-family housing neighborhoods may affect perceptions and lead to varying responses on surveys designed to assess perceptions of the neighborhood environment for PA. This study tested the factorial invariance for the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey (PANES) between residents of single-family vs. multi-family housing neighborhoods. Method This study was a secondary data analysis of PANES ratings from African American and Hispanic or Latina women (n=324) who participated in the Health is Power study (NCI R01CA109403), a multi-site, community based trial to investigate the relationship between neighborhood factors and physical activity adoption and maintenance. Factorial invariance was tested using a series of nested confirmatory factor analysis models. Results The final model was a second-order factor structure with partial invariance of item intercepts. The second-order factor structure and the relationships of the PANES items to the first-order factors (Amenable, Unsafe, and Walkable) and of the first-order factors to the second-order factor (Environment) were invariant between the single-family and multi-family housing neighborhoods groups. Conclusion These findings support the construct validity of PANES, which can be considered valid for measuring neighborhood perceptions among residents of neighborhoods with different housing types.

Factors influencing obesity among preschoolers: multilevel approach

“…PANES uses a 4-point Likert scale with higher scores reflecting a greater physical activity environment (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = somewhat disagree, 3 = somewhat agree and 4 = strongly agree; Sallis et al 2009). Construct validity was confirmed and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.52 to 0.88 in previous studies (O'Connor et al 2015;Sallis et al 2010). The internal consistency of the PANES in this study was 0.77.…”

“…Construct validity was confirmed and test–retest reliability ranged from 0.52 to 0.88 in previous studies (O'Connor et al. ; Sallis et al. ).…”

Relation between residential density and walking time among urban adults in Nanjing, China

“…Recently, a comprehensive predictor of BE characteristics, the neighbourhood environmental index (NEI), was developed by Sallis et al 24 based on the six core items of the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES). 25 The NEI was constructed by summing the scores from items 1 to 6, resulting in a score range from 0 to 6. For the NEI, the higher the score, the more the PA-favourable neighbourhood BE characteristics.…”