The validity and reliability of the exercise benefits/barriers scale for Turkish Military nursing students

This study aims to test the validity and reliability of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) for female university students in Turkey. This is a validity and reliability study of the EBBS for use in a Turkish context. The study sample consisted of 409 students of a School of Nursing (97.1% of the total student body). In the study, a three-part questionnaire was used. The EBBS, developed by Sechrist (Sechrist et al., 1987), was used in the study in order to determine the participants’ benefitbarrier perceptions. The EBBS validity coefficient was found to be 0.87 (re-test =0.85) for the whole scale, 0.95 (re-test=0.94) for the benefit aspect and, 0.80 (retest= 0.79) for the barrier aspect. “Physical performance” and “preventive health” were given the highest scores by the participants within the EBBS’s benefit subscales. The exercise barrier subscale with the lowest score was “exercise milieu”. Determining the benefits of and barriers to exercise, by using a standardized scale, plays an important role in maintaining proper levels of physical activity. The Turkish translation of the EBBS model has shown it to be an effective tool for measuring physical activity among female Turkish university students. Key words:  Adolescent health; Exercise; Health behaviours; Physical activity.