[Is the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale suitable for Dutch older persons living in the community?].
BACKGROUND
In ageing populations fear of falling is an important issue. International studies and collaborations require scales suitable to more cultures. Scales developed in one culture require adaptation and additional investigation of psychometric properties for use in other countries.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC-NL) and whether adding questions about complex/dual tasks improves the discriminatory power.


METHODS
Subjects were 106 men and 140 women aged 65-92 years. Measures were the 16-item ABC-NL and seven additional more complex items, fall history, general and physical self-efficacy, a functional reach test and a balance platform test.


RESULTS
The ABC-NL had a weak ceiling effect. Internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha) was high. The relationship between ABC-NL and physical self-efficacy was significantly stronger than between the ABC-NL and general self-efficacy. Relationships with performance-based measures of balance were moderate. Differences between fallers and non-fallers and between activity avoiders and non-avoiders were significant. Adding questions about complex tasks hardly improved discriminatory power, reliability and validity.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychometric properties of the ABC-NL were satisfactory. Further research is needed for use in high-functioning older persons.
van Heuvelen
M J G
MJ
Interfacultair Centrum voor Bewegingswetenschappen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. M.J.G.van.Heuvelen@ppsw.rug.nl
Hochstenbach
J
J
de Greef
M H G
MH
Brouwer
W H
WH
Mulder
Th
T
Scherder
E
E
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D020377:Self Efficacy