Development and Psychometric Validation of a Question naire Assessing the Impact of Memory Changes in Older Adults.

Background and Objectives: Many healthy older adults experience age-related memory changes that can impact their day-to-day functioning. Qualitative interviews have been useful in gaining insight into the experience of older adults who are facing memory difficulties. To enhance this insight, there is a need for a reliable and valid measure that quantifies the impact of normal memory changes on daily living. The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate a new instrument, the Memory Impact Questionnaire (MIQ).

Research Design and Methods: We examined the underlying component structure and psychometric properties of the MIQ in a sample of 205 community-dwelling older adults.

Results: Principal component analysis revealed three clusters: (a) Lifestyle Restrictions, (b) Positive Coping, and (c) Negative Emotion. Comparisons of the corresponding subscale scores with scores on other instruments revealed good convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, the MIQ subscales and the total score showed good test-retest reliability (rs = 0.65-0.91) and internal consistency (αs = 0.87-0.93).

Discussion and Implications: This novel questionnaire can be used in both clinical and research settings to better understand the impact of memory changes on the day-to-day functioning of older adults and to monitor outcomes of support programs for this population.