Abstract
Background: The six-item Perceived Workplace Environment Scale (PWES) is a self-report instrument designed to measure employees’ perceptions of the extent to which their workplace environment supports employee physical activity. A Chinese version is needed to facilitate workplace physical activity research in Chinese speaking countries. Objectives: This paper describes the translation process and the psychometric properties of the newly translated Chinese version of the PWES (PWES-C). Methods: The PWES in English was translated into Chinese using a modified committee approach with the consideration of cross-cultural equivalence. Psychometric properties were examined by a cross-sectional survey of 466 male and 109 female Taiwanese information technology (IT) professionals from three IT companies in northern Taiwan. Results: Content validity of the newly translated PWES-C was supported by a panel of experts. Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.88), and no significant ceiling and floor effects were observed for the PWES-C. Construct validity was supported by examining the factor structure of the PWES-C using a confirmatory factor analysis, and the results suggest a single-factor structure. Conclusions: The PWES-C is a reliable and valid measure of perceived workplace physical activity environments in Taiwanese IT professionals. The scale could be used by employers to document employees’ perception of the workplace environment.
