THE ACTIVITIES-SPECIFIC BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ABC) SCALE: THE RELATIONSHIP TO MEASURES OF STANDING BALANCE, GAIT SPEED, AND AGE IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS.
PURPOSE: Perceptions of confidence in functional mobility skills can be influenced by numerous factors and ultimately can determine willingness to participate in various activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scores on the ABC Scale and (1) selected standardized measures of balance, (2) age, and (3) gait velocity for elderly individuals who are independent in community ambulation.
SUBJECTS: Seventy subjects participated in the study. Thirty-three subjects were male and 39 used either a rolling walker or straight cane for ambulation. All were independent with community ambulation. Mean subject age was 85.01 ± 6.53 years.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: The ABC scale is a 16 item questionnaire that examines perceived confidence in mobility for some common household and community functional tasks. Subjects rated mobility confidence by circling a percentage between 0 and 100 for each of the functional activities. Higher scores indicate greater confidence in mobility. Balance was assessed using the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and the Get-up and Go Test (GuG), and ambulation velocity was measured over a distance of 10 feet using an infrared activated timer.
ANALYSIS: A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between item and summative scores for the ABC scale and the FRT, the GuG test, ambulation velocity, and age.
RESULTS: Age (r = -0.26-.37) and time for completion of the GuG (r= -0.26-.67) correlated negatively with item scores on the ABC scale, while distance for the FRT (r=0.25 -.57) and ambulation velocity (r=0.38-.76) were positively correlated. All items on the ABC scale correlated significantly (p<.05) with the GuG test, the FRT, and ambulation velocity. Weaker and fewer significant correlations were noted for age.
CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who were older or who took longer to complete the GuG test had lower confidence in mobility scores. When examining the FRT and ambulation velocity, individuals scoring higher on the ABC scale, indicating greater mobility confidence, also reached further and walked faster. The literature suggests that seniors may participate in fewer activities of daily living because of concerns about falling. Findings from the current study indicate that balance is a factor affecting the elderly’s perceptions of confidence in mobility. Seniors, who are less active because of concerns about falling, are at a greater risk for falls.
Accepted for poster presentation at Physical Therapy 2001: Annual Conference & Exposition of the American Physical Therapy Association, Anaheim, CA.