Psychometric evaluation of the original and Canadian French version of the activities-specific balance confidence scale among people with stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the internal and absolute reliability and construct validity of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale and a new Canadian French version (ABC-CF) of it among people with stroke.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Community.


METHODS
Ninety-one people with a residual walking deficit between 57 and 386 days poststroke.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
The ABC and ABC-CF scales, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), comfortable and maximum gait speeds, Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Barthel Index, physical function scale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ VAS).


RESULTS
Internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) was .94 and .93 and the standard error of measurement was 5.05 and 5.13 for the ABC (n=51) and the ABC-CF (n=35) scales, respectively. Spearman rho values ranged from .30 to .60 for the ABC scale and from .45 to .68 on the ABC-CF scale for associations with scores on the BBS, comfortable and maximum gait speeds, TUG, 6MWT, Barthel Index, physical function scale, GDS, and EQ VAS.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence of internal and absolute reliability and of construct validity of the ABC and the ABC-CF scales supports their use for cross-sectional measurements of balance self-efficacy among community-dwelling people in the first year poststroke.
Salbach
Nancy M
NM
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. nancy.salbach@utoronto.ca
Mayo
Nancy E
NE
Hanley
James A
JA
Richards
Carol L
CL
Wood-Dauphinee
Sharon
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*