Psychometric Validation of the Romanian Version of the Independent Mobility Questionnaire

For the visually impaired (VI), independent mobility (IM) refers to their ability to move around safely indoors and outdoors without peer assistance. The Independent Mobility Questionnaire (IMQ) has been extensively used to evaluate self-perceived IM. The current study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the IMQ (IMQ-R) by using a sample of 199 VI (of which 35.9% were blind), who self-administered the scale as part of an online survey in February and November 2023. The IMQ-R showed excellent internal consistency, validity, and test-retest reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient of .908, 95% confidence interval from .850 to .944, F (65,65)= 10.932, p =.000. In linear regression, the predictors of poor IM scores were consistent with the literature and included older age, poorer mental health status, and social isolation. This scale could be used by rehabilitation professionals to assess independent mobility levels in VI and by researchers as a patient-reported outcome, to evaluate the effectiveness of independent mobility devices targeted at VI.