Reliability and concurrent validity of the Balance Recovery Confidence (BRC) scale-Thai version in patients with subacute stroke.

Wanvisa Panichaporn, Nithinun Chaikeeree, Chayanee Limsuwan, Shawn Leng-Hsien Soh, Rumpa Boonsinsukh
Purpose:

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Balance Recovery Confidence (BRC) scale into Thai. The test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the BRC-Thai were examined in a sample population of patients with subacute stroke.

Methods:

The original version of BRC was translated into Thai using standardised guidelines of translation and cross-cultural adaptation of measurement instruments, consisting of forward and backward translations. The draft version of BRC-Thai was then tested on 10 patients with subacute stroke for clarity and practicality. The final version of BRC-Thai was then evaluated for its test-retest reliability and concurrent validity in patients with subacute stroke. The BRC-Thai (/190 scores), the Activity-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale-Thai (/100 scores) and the Balance Evaluation System Test (BESTest) items 14-18 (/18 scores) were used to assess the patients with stroke. The BRC-Thai was administered twice, 7 days apart, to determine its test-retest reliability using the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The concurrent validity was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation between the BRC-Thai, the ABC-Thai and the BESTest.

Results:

The BRC-Thai was evaluated in 30 patients with subacute stroke. The average age was 59.74+13.12 years, and they could walk for 10 meters. Approximately 39% of participants had at least one fall in the past year. The average scores of BRC-Thai, ABC-Thai and BESTest (item 14-18) were 113.13+53.60, 63.42+22.94 and 9.35+4.43, respectively. Test-retest reliability of the BRC-Thai using ICC(3,1) was high (0.98). Significantly high and positive correlations were found between the BRC-Thai and ABC-Thai (r(28)=0.85). A moderate and positive correlation was identified between the BRC-Thai and BESTest item 14-18 (r(28)=0.70).

Conclusion(s):

The BRC-Thai is a reliable and valid scale for assessing the perceived reactive ability to arrest falls in patients with subacute stroke.

Implications:

This study provides evidence of the reliability and concurrent validity of the BRC-Thai in patients with subacute stroke. The scale is easy and required 5-7 minutes to administer. The BRC-Thai can be a useful tool for clinicians to understand the beliefs of patients with neurological conditions regarding their ability to recover their balance from perturbations, such as slips, trips, or voluntary movements. These insights can inform the development of targeted training programs aimed at improving fall prevention in this population.

Funding acknowledgements:
from Faculty of Physical Therapy at Srinakharinwirot University.
Keywords:
protective strategies
falls
cardiovascular disease
Primary topic:
Neurology: stroke
Second topic:
Disability and rehabilitation
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Srinakharinwirot University ethic committee
Provide the ethics approval number:
PTPT2024-011
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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