Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students

PurposeAs a globally popular physical activity, swimming also presents challenges due to its inherent aquatic risks. Therefore, the cultivation of swimming competence emerges as a crucial strategy in preventing drowning incidents. This study aimed to develop and validate the Swimming Competence Asse...

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Main Authors: Miao Zhao, Cheng Chen, Peng Ning, Bo Wei Zhang, Yupeng Shen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1476732/full
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author Miao Zhao
Cheng Chen
Peng Ning
Bo Wei Zhang
Yupeng Shen
author_facet Miao Zhao
Cheng Chen
Peng Ning
Bo Wei Zhang
Yupeng Shen
author_sort Miao Zhao
collection DOAJ
description PurposeAs a globally popular physical activity, swimming also presents challenges due to its inherent aquatic risks. Therefore, the cultivation of swimming competence emerges as a crucial strategy in preventing drowning incidents. This study aimed to develop and validate the Swimming Competence Assessment Scale in College Students (SCAS) to address the gap in structured swimming proficiency evaluation, essential for drowning prevention and water safety education.MethodsThe research involved 160 full-time second-year college students, including 92 males (age:20.48±0.51) and 68 females (age:20.65±0.70), who underwent two swimming ability assessments. The evaluation covered fundamental swimming skills, including entry, submersion, rotation, prone and supine swimming, floating, and exiting the water.ResultsExploratory Factor Analysis revealed goodness-of-fit for a two-factor model swimming coherent motion and swimming stable posture, which supported the construct validity. The inter-factor construct reliability (CR = 0.866, CR = 0.835) and the square root of Average Variance Extracted (AVE1 = 0.754, AVE1 = 0.848) exceeded the standards for supporting convergent and discriminant validity. The inter-rater reliability (IRR = 0.542) and Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.840, α = 0.827) coefficient results have demonstrated the internal reliability of the SACS. Positive correlation between SCAS scores at pre-test and post-test provided evidence for SCAS’s test–retest reliability (TRR = 0.825, TRR = 0.758).ConclusionSCAS is a valid and reliable assessment scale. It assesses college students’ swimming competence through two aspects: Swimming Coherent Motion and Swimming Stable Posture.
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spelling doaj-art-995ca71ec35b40f0aa336f525b5c3a712025-08-20T02:06:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-11-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14767321476732Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college studentsMiao Zhao0Cheng Chen1Peng Ning2Bo Wei Zhang3Yupeng Shen4School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Sports, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Sports, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, ChinaPurposeAs a globally popular physical activity, swimming also presents challenges due to its inherent aquatic risks. Therefore, the cultivation of swimming competence emerges as a crucial strategy in preventing drowning incidents. This study aimed to develop and validate the Swimming Competence Assessment Scale in College Students (SCAS) to address the gap in structured swimming proficiency evaluation, essential for drowning prevention and water safety education.MethodsThe research involved 160 full-time second-year college students, including 92 males (age:20.48±0.51) and 68 females (age:20.65±0.70), who underwent two swimming ability assessments. The evaluation covered fundamental swimming skills, including entry, submersion, rotation, prone and supine swimming, floating, and exiting the water.ResultsExploratory Factor Analysis revealed goodness-of-fit for a two-factor model swimming coherent motion and swimming stable posture, which supported the construct validity. The inter-factor construct reliability (CR = 0.866, CR = 0.835) and the square root of Average Variance Extracted (AVE1 = 0.754, AVE1 = 0.848) exceeded the standards for supporting convergent and discriminant validity. The inter-rater reliability (IRR = 0.542) and Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.840, α = 0.827) coefficient results have demonstrated the internal reliability of the SACS. Positive correlation between SCAS scores at pre-test and post-test provided evidence for SCAS’s test–retest reliability (TRR = 0.825, TRR = 0.758).ConclusionSCAS is a valid and reliable assessment scale. It assesses college students’ swimming competence through two aspects: Swimming Coherent Motion and Swimming Stable Posture.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1476732/fullassessment of swimming competencestructural validityreliability analysiscollege student populationdrowning prevention
spellingShingle Miao Zhao
Cheng Chen
Peng Ning
Bo Wei Zhang
Yupeng Shen
Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
Frontiers in Public Health
assessment of swimming competence
structural validity
reliability analysis
college student population
drowning prevention
title Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
title_full Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
title_fullStr Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
title_short Exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
title_sort exploring the structural validity and reliability of the swimming competence assessment scale in college students
topic assessment of swimming competence
structural validity
reliability analysis
college student population
drowning prevention
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1476732/full
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AT pengning exploringthestructuralvalidityandreliabilityoftheswimmingcompetenceassessmentscaleincollegestudents
AT boweizhang exploringthestructuralvalidityandreliabilityoftheswimmingcompetenceassessmentscaleincollegestudents
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