Adaptation of tendency to avoid physical activity and sport in Turkish adolescents

Adolescence is a critical period during which individuals undergo social, emotional, and cognitive changes. Participation in physical activity during this period significantly affects individuals' health in their future lives. However, despite the well-known multifaceted positive effects of physical activity on adolescent health, avoidance of physical activity and sports has become a significant problem in recent years. To address this situation from a public health perspective, it is important to understand the potential underlying reasons for individuals' avoidance of physical activity and sports. However, it has been noted that there is limited research on this topic, and most existing studies focus primarily on adult individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt the "Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport Scale" to Turkish language and culture for adolescents. The study group consisted of two separate groups selected through convenience sampling from different high schools in Turkey. The study included 70 in the pilot test phase and, 478 in the construct validity and reliability phase. Factor loadings (0.395-0.913), fit indices (x2/df =4.312, CFI = 0.966, TLI = 0.952, RMSEA =0.083, SRMR =0.037), Average Variance Extracted (AVE=0.529), and Construct Reliability (CR=0.914) were taken into account for the structural validity, while high McDonald's Omega coefficients were calculated for reliability, (.914). As a result, it was found that the measurement tool preserves the original structure of the single-factor, 10-item scale, meets the necessary psychometric properties for assessing adolescents' levels of avoidance of physical activity, and is a valid and reliable tool.