Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale – ABC
Measures self-reported balance confidence in performing various indoor and outdoor activities without losing balance or falling.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale – ABC was developed by Powell, L. E., & Myers, A. M. (1995). It is designed to measure Balance Confidence. The scale is intended for use with Older adults and individuals with neurological conditions.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = 0% – No confidence, 10 = 10%, 20 = 20%, 30 = 30%, 40 = 40%, 50 = 50%, 60 = 60%, 70 = 70%, 80 = 80%, 90 = 90%, 100 = 100% – Completely confident.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low level of physical functioning (High risk of falling): 0 – 49
- Moderate level of physical functioning (Moderate risk of falling): 50 – 80
- High level of physical functioning (Low risk of falling): 81 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha = 0.96.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.