Multidimensional Health Behavior Inventory-Exercise subscale (MHBI-E)

Abstract

The Multidimensional Health Behavior Inventory-Exercise subscale (MHBI-E) is a brief, focused component of the larger Multidimensional Health Behavior Inventory (MHBI) developed by Kulbok and colleagues in 1999. This subscale is designed to assess the frequency and intensity of physical activity and exercise behaviors among individuals, typically within college or adult populations. It specifically targets behaviors related to recreational activity, vigorous exercise, and exercise undertaken for weight management. The MHBI-E utilizes a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from NEVER to ALWAYS, to quantify self-reported engagement in these crucial health behaviors.

Keywords

Health behavior, Exercise, Physical activity, MHBI, Psychological scale, Health promotion, College women, Likert scale, Weight management.

Authors

Kulbok, P.A., Carter, K.F., Baldwin, J.H., Gilmartin, M.J., Kirkwood, B.

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Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the MHBI-E is to provide a standardized, quantifiable measure of an individual’s engagement in regular and sustained physical activity and exercise behaviors. This information is vital for researchers and clinicians interested in understanding lifestyle factors that contribute to overall health and well-being, particularly in studies examining preventative health strategies or interventions aimed at increasing activity levels.

The scale allows for the identification of specific deficits in exercise adherence, differentiating between low-intensity recreational activity and higher-intensity vigorous exercise. Its application often focuses on populations where health behaviors are undergoing transition, such as young adults transitioning into college life, where monitoring sedentary lifestyle risks is critical.

Construct

The MHBI-E measures the construct of Exercise Behavior, defined within the context of the broader MHBI framework as the observable actions taken by an individual to maintain or enhance physical fitness and health through structured movement. This construct encompasses both planned, vigorous activity and regular, sustained recreational activities.

Specifically, the subscale operationalizes this construct through items focusing on three key dimensions: frequency of recreational activity (e.g., walking, sports), frequency and duration of vigorous activity (e.g., running, swimming), and the motivation for physical activity (e.g., weight loss). These items reflect the behavioral frequency component of the overall health behavior model.

Validity

While specific validity details for the MHBI-E subscale are often reported within the context of the larger MHBI instrument, the original development sought to establish robust psychometric properties. Content validity was established through expert review to ensure item relevance to defined health behaviors.

Construct validity for the MHBI typically relies on correlations with related measures, such as self-efficacy for exercise or general health status indicators. Studies utilizing the MHBI-E, such as that by Herbozo (2007), indirectly support its validity by demonstrating expected relationships between exercise behavior and psychological constructs like body image and mood states in specific populations, confirming its utility in behavioral research settings.

Reliability

Reliability of the MHBI-E is generally assessed using measures of internal consistency. For the parent MHBI, subscales typically exhibit acceptable to good internal consistency, commonly measured by Cronbach’s alpha values often ranging between 0.70 and 0.85 across various samples. While the specific alpha for the 4-item MHBI-E subscale may be lower due to its brevity, it is generally considered reliable for research screening.

Furthermore, test-retest reliability is important for health behavior scales, suggesting stability of reported behavior over short intervals. Although specific data on MHBI-E test-retest reliability is not provided in the source material, the overall MHBI framework is designed for stable measurement of habitual health practices.

Factor Analysis

The development of the overall Multidimensional Health Behavior Inventory (MHBI) utilized exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to delineate distinct dimensions of health behavior. The Exercise subscale emerged as a distinct factor, supporting the theoretical separation of physical activity from other health domains, such as nutrition or stress management.

The MHBI-E, being a very short subscale, is generally treated as a single factor representing Exercise Behavior within the larger factor structure. Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in later studies have generally upheld the multidimensional structure of the MHBI, confirming the adequate fit of the Exercise factor within the overall model.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychometric scale, behavioral frequency measure.

Format: Paper-and-pencil or electronic administration, utilizing a 5-point Likert response scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (original development).

Population Group: General adult population; frequently used with college students and young women.

Age Group: Typically 18 years and older (Adults and young adults).

Population Details: Used effectively in research concerning university students, particularly those focusing on lifestyle choices, body image, and health risk behaviors, as evidenced by the application in Herbozo (2007).

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the frequency of engaging in each specified exercise behavior on a scale from 1 (NEVER) to 5 (ALWAYS). Scores are typically summed or averaged to create a total exercise behavior score, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to healthy exercise practices.

Keywords

Physical fitness, Health assessment, Behavioral measurement, Health inventory, College health, Exercise adherence, Vigorous activity, Recreational activity.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence for the original MHBI development is associated with the primary author, P.A. Kulbok (1999), likely affiliated with the University of Virginia School of Nursing at the time of publication.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original MHBI was published in 1999 (Kulbok et al.). As a published academic instrument, it is generally available for non-commercial academic research use, though specific permissions or licensing fees for large-scale application should be confirmed with the primary author or the journal publisher (Journal of Nursing Measurement).

The MHBI-E subscale itself was utilized in subsequent studies, such as the 2007 dissertation by Herbozo, indicating its ongoing usage in research settings.

Reference’s

Kulbok, P.A., Carter, K.F., Baldwin, J.H., Gilmartin, M.J., & Kirkwood, B. (1999). The multidimensional health behavior inventory. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 7, 177-195.

Herbozo, Sylvia. (2007). The Effects of Ambiguous Appearance-related Feedback on Body Image, Mood States, and Intentions to Use Body Changes Strategies in College Women. University of South Florida, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology.

The original PDF detailing the application of this instrument can be downloaded here: http://usf.sobek.ufl.edu/content/SF/S0/02/68/04/00001/E14-SFE0002487.pdf

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Items of the Multidimensional Health Behavior Inventory-Exercise subscale (MHBI-E)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The MHBI-E utilizes a 5-point response scale:

• 1 = NEVER
• 2 = RARELY
• 3 = SOMETIMES
• 4 = OFTEN
• 5 = ALWAYS

1. Participate in recreational physical activities as walking, biking, dancing or sports regularly at least twice a week.
2. Exercise vigorously for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week.
3. Increase your physical activity to lose weight.
4. Run, jog, or swim for exercise at least 3 times per week.