TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2006//
TI  - Developing a short form of the Berg Balance Scale for people with stroke
JO  - Physical therapy
A1  - Chou, Chia-Yeh
A1  - Chien, Chi-Wen
A1  - Hsueh, I-Ping
A1  - Sheu, Ching-Fan
A1  - Wang, Chun-Hou
A1  - Hsieh, Ching-Lin
SP  - 195
EP  - 204
VL  - 86
IS  - 2
N2  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To improve the utility of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the aim of this study was to develop a short form of the BBS (SFBBS) that was psychometrically similar (including test reliability, validity, and responsiveness) to the original BBS for people with stroke. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 226 subjects with stroke participated in this prospective study at 14 days after their stroke; 167 of these subjects also were examined at 90 days after their stroke. The BBS, Barthel Index, and Fugl-Meyer Motor Test were administered at these 2 time points. By reducing the number of tested items by more than half the number of items in the original BBS (ie, making 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-item tests) and simplifying the scoring system of the original BBS (ie, collapsing the 5-level scale into a 3-level scale [BBS-3P]), we generated a total of 8 SFBBSs. RESULTS: The distributions of scores for all 8 SFBBSs were acceptable but featured notable floor effects. The 4-item BBS, 5-item BBS, 5-item BBS-3P, and 7-item BBS-3P demonstrated good reliability. The subjects' scores on the 6-item BBS, 6-item BBS-3P, 7-item BBS, and 7-item BBS-3P showed excellent agreement with those on the original BBS. The 6-item BBS-3P and 7-item BBS-3P exhibited great responsiveness. Only the 7-item BBS-3P demonstrated both satisfactory and psychometric properties similar to those of the original BBS. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The 7-item BBS-3P was found to be psychometrically similar to the original BBS. The 7-item BBS-3P, compared with the original BBS, is simpler and faster to complete in either a clinical or a research setting and is recommended.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0031-9023
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -