Psychometric Properties of the Short Version of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale in Vestibular Patients.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale Short Version (ABC-6) in vestibular patients.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 87 subjects aged over 18 years with vestibular pathology. Construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and capacity to discriminate between subjects with or without risk of falling as measured with the ABC-16 standard version were analyzed.

RESULTS

The ABC-6 showed a unifactorial structure. Cronbach's alpha was 0.873. The reliability was moderate for each of the items and substantial for the total score (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.778). The standard error of measurement was 10.24, with a minimum detectable change of 20.07. The ABC-6 version showed a strong correlation with physical and functional measures, moderate correlation with emotional measures, and poor correlation with the Physical Component Summary of SF-12 and retrospective 12-month falls. A cutoff point ≤55 showed a sensitivity = 94.44% and a specificity = 92.75% in differentiating between patients with or without risk of falling measured with the ABC-16 standard version, with an area under the curve = 0.975.

CONCLUSIONS

The ABC-6 showed acceptable psychometric properties for measuring balance confidence and risk of falling in vestibular patients.