Article

OBJECTIVES: To explore shortened response formats for use with the
Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale and then evalute the
unidimensionality of the scale, the item difficulty, the scale for redundancy and
content gaps, and the item standard error of measurement (SEM) and internal
consistency reliability among aging individuals with a lower-limb amputation
living in the community. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey and
chart review data. SETTING: Outpatient amputee clinics, Ontario, Canada.
PARTICIPANTS: Community living adults (N=448; >/=50y; mean, 68y) who have used a
prosthesis for at least 6 months for a major unilateral lower-limb amputation. Of
the participants, 325 (72.5%) were men. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURE: ABC Scale. RESULTS: A 5-option response format outperformed 4-
and 6-option formats. Factor analyses confirmed a unidimensional scale. The
distance between response options is not the same for all items on the scale,
evident by the Rasch Partial Credit Model (PCM) having a better fit to the data
than the Rasch Rating Scale Model. Two items, however, did not fit the PCM within
statistical reason. Revising the wording of the 2 items may resolve the misfit
and improve the construct validity and lower the standard error of measurement.
Overall, the difficulty of the scale's items is appropriate for use with aging
individuals with lower-limb amputation, and is most reliable (Cronbach
alpha=0.94) for use with individuals with moderately low balance confidence
levels. CONCLUSIONS: The ABC Scale with a simplified 5-option response format is
a valid and reliable measure of balance confidence for use with individuals aging
with a lower-limb amputation.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS