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Confidence Scale (confidence + scale)
Kinds of Confidence Scale Selected AbstractsPsychometric Properties of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale and the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in Older WomenJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008Kristine M.C. Talley MS OBJECTIVES: To compare the psychometric properties of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) and the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE). DESIGN: Secondary analysis using baseline and 12-week data from a randomized, controlled trial on fall prevention. SETTING: Upper Midwest metropolitan area with assessments conducted in participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Population-based sample of 272 noninstitutionalized female Medicare beneficiaries aged 70 and older at risk of falling. MEASUREMENTS: Participants self-administered the ABC, SAFE, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Survey. During a home visit, a nurse practitioner administered the Berg Balance Test and Timed Up and Go, measured gait speed, and asked about falls and chronic illnesses. RESULTS: Baseline internal consistency measured using Cronbach alpha was 0.95 for the ABC and 0.82 for the SAFE. Baseline concurrent validity between the ABC and SAFE measured using a correlation coefficient was ,0.65 (P<.001). ABC and SAFE scores were significantly correlated at baseline with physical performance tests and self-reported health status. The ABC had stronger baseline correlations than the SAFE with most measures. Neither instrument demonstrated responsiveness to change at 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: The ABC and SAFE demonstrated strong internal-consistency reliability and validity when self-administered. The ABC had stronger associations with physical functioning and may be more appropriate for studies focused on improving physical function. Both instruments demonstrated ceiling effects, which may explain the lack of responsiveness to change in relatively nonfrail older women. Instruments sensitive to measuring lower levels of fear of falling are needed to capture the full range of this phenomenon in this population. [source] Reduction in Fear of Falling Through Intense Tai Chi Exercise Training in Older, Transitionally Frail AdultsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 7 2005Richard W. Sattin MD Objectives: To determine whether an intense tai chi exercise program could reduce fear of falling better than a wellness education (WE) program in older adults who had fallen previously and meet criteria for transitioning to frailty. Design: Cluster-randomized, controlled trial of 48 weeks' duration. Setting: Ten matched pairs of congregate living facilities in the greater Atlanta area. Participants: Sample of 291 women and 20 men, aged 70 to 97. Measurements: Activity-related fear of falling using the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) and the Fall Efficacy Scale at baseline and every 4 months for 1 year. Demographics, time to first fall and all subsequent falls, functional measures, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, medication use, level of physical activity, comorbidities, and adherence to interventions. Results: Mean ABC was similar in both cohort groups at the time of randomization but became significantly higher (decreased fear) in the tai chi cohort at 8 months (57.9 vs 49.0, P<.001) and at study end (59.2 vs 47.9, P<.001). After adjusting for covariates, the mean ABC after 12 months of intervention was significantly greater in the tai chi group than in the WE group, with the differences increasing with time (mean difference at 12 months=9.5 points, 95% confidence interval=4.8,14.2, P<.001). Conclusion: Tai chi led to a significantly greater reduction in fear of falling than a WE program in transitionally frail older adults. The mean percentage change in ABC scores widened between tai chi and WE participants over the trial period. Tai chi should be considered in any program designed to reduce falling and fear of falling in transitionally frail older adults. [source] Assessing fear of falling: Can a short version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale be useful?MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 12 2006Chava Peretz PhD Abstract We present the process of further validation of the 16-item Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC-16) and a short version (ABC-6) derived by us, to assess balance confidence and fear of falling (FOF). The ABC-16 was administrated to three groups who were anticipated to have a range of balance confidence: 70 patients with higher level gait disorders (HLGDs), 68 healthy controls, and 19 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Item reduction was based on identifying items with the lowest scores (high FOF) among the patients. Internal consistency and discriminative validity were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and logistic regression, respectively. The intraclass correlation (ICC) between the short and long versions was assessed using a mixed model approach, accounting for the difference between the scores of the two versions. Six items were found to reflect the most frightening conditions, especially in the patient groups, and to form the short version (ABC-6). Internal consistency of the ABC-16 and ABC-6 were high in the three groups: Cronbach's alpha was between 0.83 and 0.91 and 0.81 and 0.90, respectively. Compared to the control group, the sensitivity of the ABC-16 was 96% for identification of patients with HLGDs (greatest FOF) and 58% for identification of PDs (moderate FOF), based only on the ABC scores. Similar values were obtained for the short version, i.e., 91% for HLGDs and 53% for PDs. ICCs between the short and the long versions was 0.88 (HLGDs), 0.83 (PDs), and 0.78 (Controls). To conclude, the short version of the ABC has properties analogous to the parent questionnaire and is apparently useful in assessing FOF. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source] Comparison of ferucarbotran-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery echo-planar, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo, T2*-weighted gradient-echo, and diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging for detection of malignant liver lesionsJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 3 2010Yoshihiko Fukukura MD Abstract Purpose: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery echo-planar imaging (FLAIR EPI) for malignant liver tumors with that of T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE), T2*-weighted gradient-echo (GRE), and diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (DW EPI). Materials and Methods: SPIO-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that included FLAIR EPI, T2-weighted TSE, T2*-weighted GRE, and DW EPI sequences was performed using a 3 T system in 54 consecutive patients who underwent surgical exploration with intraoperative ultrasonography. A total of 88 malignant liver tumors were evaluated. Images were reviewed independently by two blinded observers who used a 5-point confidence scale to identify lesions. Results were correlated with results of histopathologic findings and surgical exploration with intraoperative ultrasonography. The accuracy of each MRI sequence was measured with jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis. The sensitivity of each observer with each MRI sequence was compared with McNemar's test. Results: Accuracy values were significantly higher with FLAIR EPI sequence (0.93) than with T2*-weighted GRE (0.80) or DW EPI sequences (0.80) (P < 0.05). Sensitivity was significantly higher with the FLAIR EPI sequence than with any of the other sequences. Conclusion: SPIO-enhanced FLAIR EPI sequence was more accurate in the diagnosis of malignant liver tumors than T2*-weighted GRE and DW EPI sequences. SPIO-enhanced FLAIR EPI sequence is helpful for the detection of malignant liver tumors. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:607,616. ©2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||