A physical activity barriers questionnaire for youth with visual impairments

<i>Background.</i> In the current paper we examined the psychometric properties of the Physical Activity Barriers Questionnaire for children with Visual Impairments (PABQ-VI). We examined evidence for the ability of the PABQ-VI to produce scores considered to be valid and exhibit internal reliability. <i>Methods.</i> Forty one children living in the USA who were attending a residential sports camp participated in our research. Psychometric properties of the PABQ-VI were investigated using Pearson product-moment coefficients, Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability tests. Convergent validity was established by exploring correlations between the PABQ-VI, physical activity (PA) levels and participant’s self-efficacy for overcoming barriers. <i>Results.</i> Participants demonstrated low PA levels. Both PA participation and barrier PA self-efficacy scores were correlated with the PABQ-VI. The most physically active participants perceived fewer barriers and had stronger efficacy compared to participants who were less physically active. <i>Conclusions.</i> Overall, the PABQ-VI demonstrated preliminary evidence of convergent validity. Future researchers may consider reducing participant burden by reducing the scale length through eliminating the most poorly performing items and examining the three-factor structure using factor analysis.