Patricia Hewston1, Nandini Deshpande2. 1. School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 2. School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: nandinijd@yahoo.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The short version of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-6) is advantageous in busy clinical or research settings because it can be administered in less time than the original 16-item Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-16). This pilot study examined the convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity of the ABC-6 in older adults with diabetes mellitus with and without diagnosed diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: Thirty older adults (aged ≥65) were age- and sex-matched in 3 groups: 10 with diabetes (DM group), 10 with diagnosed DPN (DPN group) and 10 without diabetes (no-DM group). Balance confidence was quantified by the ABC-16, which includes the ABC-6. Potential correlates were evaluated in physical and psychological domains. RESULTS: The ABC-6 and ABC-16 balance confidence scores were strongly correlated (r=0.969; p<0.001; convergent validity). The ABC-6 revealed significant differences in balance confidence between the no-DM and the DM groups (p<0.001; discriminant validity), whereas the ABC-16 did not (p>0.05). The ABC-6 was moderately, but significantly, correlated with physical activity level (r=0.528; p=0.017), mobility (r=-0.520; p=0.027), balance (r=0.633; p=0.003), and depressive symptoms (r=-0.515; p=0.020) in the DM study groups (concurrent validity). CONCLUSIONS: The ABC-6 and ABC-16 had excellent convergent validity, and both ABC scales had similar concurrent validity. However, the ABC-6 was more sensitive in detecting subtle differences in balance confidence in older adults with diabetes without diagnosed DPN than the ABC-16. Overall, this pilot study provided evidence of the validity of the ABC-6 in older adults with diabetes. Further exploration involving a larger sample size is recommended to confirm these findings.
OBJECTIVES: The short version of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-6) is advantageous in busy clinical or research settings because it can be administered in less time than the original 16-item Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-16). This pilot study examined the convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity of the ABC-6 in older adults with diabetes mellitus with and without diagnosed diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: Thirty older adults (aged ≥65) were age- and sex-matched in 3 groups: 10 with diabetes (DM group), 10 with diagnosed DPN (DPN group) and 10 without diabetes (no-DM group). Balance confidence was quantified by the ABC-16, which includes the ABC-6. Potential correlates were evaluated in physical and psychological domains. RESULTS: The ABC-6 and ABC-16 balance confidence scores were strongly correlated (r=0.969; p<0.001; convergent validity). The ABC-6 revealed significant differences in balance confidence between the no-DM and the DM groups (p<0.001; discriminant validity), whereas the ABC-16 did not (p>0.05). The ABC-6 was moderately, but significantly, correlated with physical activity level (r=0.528; p=0.017), mobility (r=-0.520; p=0.027), balance (r=0.633; p=0.003), and depressive symptoms (r=-0.515; p=0.020) in the DM study groups (concurrent validity). CONCLUSIONS: The ABC-6 and ABC-16 had excellent convergent validity, and both ABC scales had similar concurrent validity. However, the ABC-6 was more sensitive in detecting subtle differences in balance confidence in older adults with diabetes without diagnosed DPN than the ABC-16. Overall, this pilot study provided evidence of the validity of the ABC-6 in older adults with diabetes. Further exploration involving a larger sample size is recommended to confirm these findings.
Keywords:
aging; balance; balance confidence; chutes; confiance en son équilibre; diabète sucré de type 2; falls; type 2 diabetes mellitus; vieillissement; équilibre