Reliability and validity of functional balance tests
post stroke

Tyson, S

Abstract

Objective: To contribute to the reliability and validity of a series of functional balance
tests for use post stroke.
Design: Within-session, test/restest and intertester reliability was tested using the
kappa coefficient and intraclass correlations. The tests were performed three times
and the first and third attempts compared to test the within-session reliability. The
tests were repeated a few days later to assess test/retest reliability and were scored
simultaneously by two physiotherapists to assess the intertester reliability. To test
criterion-related validity the tests were compared with the sitting section of the
Motor Assessment Scale, Berg Balance Scale and Rivermead Mobility Index using
Spearman’s rho.
Setting: Stroke physiotherapy services of six National Health Service hospitals.
Participants: People with a post stroke hemiplegia attending physiotherapy who had
no other pathology affecting their balance took part. Thirty-five people participated in
the reliability testing and 48 people took part in the validity testing.
Main outcome measures: The following functional balance tests were used:
supported sitting balance, sitting arm raise, sitting forward reach, supported standing
balance, standing arm raise, standing forward reach, static tandem standing, weight
shift, timed 5-m walk with and without an aid, tap and step-up tests.
Results: The ordinal level tests (supported sitting and standing balance and static
tandem standing tests) showed 100% agreement in all aspects of reliability.
Intraclass correlations for the other tests ranged from 0.93 to 0.99. All the tests
showed significant correlations with the appropriate comparator tests (r/0.32/0.74
pB/0.05), except the weight shift test and step-up tests which did not form
significant relationship with Berg Balance Scale (r/0.26 and 0.19 respectively).
Conclusion: These functional balance tests are reliable and valid measures of
balance disability post stroke.

Citation

post stroke. Clinical Rehabilitation, 18, 916-923. https://doi.org/10.1191/0269215504cr821oa

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2004
• Deposit Date: Mar 23, 2010
• Journal: Clinical Rehabilitation
• Print ISSN: 0269-2155
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Pages: 916-923
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/0269215504cr821oa
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/0269215504cr821oa