Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2: Evidence from university students in the Mainland and Hong Kong of China

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (C-BREQ-2) among Chinese university students from the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Methods: University students from the Mainland (n = 191) and Hong Kong (n = 194) of China participated in this study. Factorial validity, discriminant validity, nomological validity, internal reliability, and measurement invariance across sample of the C-BREQ-2 were examined. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the factorial validity of the 18-item, 5-factor structure C-BREQ-2. Examination of the 95% confidence interval of the inter-factor correlations suggested that the C-BREQ-2 assesses related but distinct constructs, which provided support for its discriminant validity. The internal consistency reliability of the C-BREQ-2 was found acceptable. Examination of the pattern of inter-factor correlations between different regulations suggested that a simplex-like pattern was displayed, which provided evidence for the nomological validity of C-BREQ-2. The results from multi-group confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the factor loadings and variances/covariances of the C-BREQ-2 measurement model were invariant across the Chinese university students in the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Conclusion: The current study provided further psychometric evidence for the C-BREQ-2, which makes the further application and research of self-determination theory (SDT) based motivation in relation to exercise and physical activity in the Mainland of China context possible.