Reliability and validity of the PL-C Quest, a scale designed to assess children's self-reported physical literacy

Background: The Physical Literacy in Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) was developed to assess children's perceived physical literacy. Pictorial items assess 30 elements within four domains (Physical - 12 items, Psychological - 7 items, Social - 4 items and Cognitive - 7 items). The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the PL-C Quest in Australian children aged 7-12 years.Methods: In 2020, Australian parents and children were recruited via social media (Sample 1: n = 80) and panel sampling (Sample 2: n = 589). Parents consented online, completed demographic details and children completed the PL-C Quest online. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a sub-group of Sample 1 (n = 59). Internal consistency and construct validity [Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)] were assessed using combined samples. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) SEM was tested based on the hypothesized structure of four subdomains and a higher order factor of physical literacy.Results: Most parents were born in Australia (78%) and had a university education [University (61%), Trade (16%), High school (15%) and less than High school (8%)]. Children (59% boys; 40% girls; 1% other) had a mean age of 10.1 years (SD = 1.7). Physical literacy did not differ by age, but children of tertiary educated parents had higher physical literacy levels. Test-retest values (Mean = 15.8 days apart) were adequate to good [overall: ICC = 0.83, physical: ICC = 0.80, psychological: ICC = 0.76, social: ICC = 0.66, cognitive: ICC = 0.75]. Internal consistency values were as follows: overall: alpha = 0.92; physical: alpha = 0.82; psychological: alpha = 0.75; social: alpha = 0.72; cognitive: alpha = 0.77. All items except two loaded on sub-domains above 0.45. The final model had an adequate fit (SRMR = 0.043, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.045).Conclusions: Results indicate the PL-C Quest has acceptable test-retest reliability and construct validity. Further research could seek to explore validity in children aged 5 and 6 years of age and in other cultural contexts.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the Physical Literacy in Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) in Australian children aged 7-12 years. The results showed that the questionnaire has good test-retest reliability and construct validity, making it suitable for assessing children's physical literacy. Further research could be conducted to explore its validity in different age groups and cultural contexts.