The Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity 2

Physical activity is a crucial behavior for improving health, and state mindfulness plays an important role in promoting intrinsic motivation for physical activity. The State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity 2 (SMS–PA2) was developed to assess the associations between state mindfulness and physical activity. However, cross-cultural studies are lacking. The present study aimed to validate a Mandarin Chinese version of the SMS–PA2, the SMS–PA2(MC).

A total of 699 university students, aged 17 to 22 years, from two universities in Jinan, located in Shandong Province, China, participated in the study. Data were collected through an online survey platform. Participants completed the Chinese versions of several self-report measures, including the SMS–PA2(MC), trait mindfulness, intrinsic motivation, and state anxiety.

Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the SMS–PA2(MC) maintained its original 4-factor structure with 18 items, excluding 1 item with a low factor loading. Confirmatory factor analysis of an 18-item version provided support for the findings. The SMS–PA2(MC) demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and composite reliability. Furthermore, it also exhibited satisfactory concurrent validity, convergent validity, and incremental validity.

The SMS–PA2(MC) exhibits favorable psychometric properties, confirming the findings of the original version. The scale consists of 4 factors and demonstrates reliability when administered to a sample of college students.