Psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral Scale in people with Parkinson's disease

Lorena Rosa S Almeida; Lara Vasconcelos; Guilherme T Valenca; Kárin Carvalho; Elen Beatriz Pinto; Jamary Oliveira-Filho; Colleen G Canning

doi:10.1080/09638288.2023.2230132

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral Scale in people with Parkinson's disease

Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Jul 4:1-7. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2230132. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Lorena Rosa S Almeida^{1

2}, Lara Vasconcelos³, Guilherme T Valenca^{1

4}, Kárin Carvalho^{2

3}, Elen Beatriz Pinto^{2

5}, Jamary Oliveira-Filho⁶, Colleen G Canning⁶

Affiliations

¹ Movement Disorders and Parkinson's Disease Clinic, Roberto Santos General Hospital/SESAB, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
² Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Motor Behavior and Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
³ Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
⁴ Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Life Sciences (DCV), Bahia State University, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
⁶ Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

PMID: 37403370
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2230132

Abstract

Purpose: To verify the psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Falls Behavioral (FaB-Brazil) Scale in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Material and methods: Participants (n = 96) were assessed by disease-specific, self-report and functional mobility measures. Internal consistency of the FaB-Brazil scale was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and inter-rater and test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), ceiling and floor effects, and convergent and discriminative validity were evaluated.

Results: Internal consistency was moderate (α = 0.77). Excellent inter-rater (ICC = 0.90; p < 0.001) and test-retest (ICC = 0.91; p < 0.001) reliability were found. The SEM was 0.20 and MDC was 0.38. Ceiling and floor effects were not found. Convergent validity was established by the positive correlations between the FaB-Brazil scale and age, modified Hoehn and Yahr, PD duration, Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Motor Aspects of Experiences of Daily Living, Timed Up & Go and 8-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, and negative correlations between the FaB-Brazil scale and community mobility, Schwab & England, and Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale. Females showed greater protective behaviors than males; recurrent fallers showed greater protective behaviors than non-recurrent fallers (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The FaB-Brazil scale is reliable and valid for assessing people with PD.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; fall risk; fall-related behaviors; falls; psychometric properties.

Plain language summary

Fall-related behaviors should be part of the fall risk assessment of community-dwelling people with Parkinson’s disease.The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Fall Behavioral (FaB-Brazil) Scale is reliable and valid for assessing everyday behaviors and actions related to falling in community-dwelling people with Parkinson’s disease.The FaB-Brazil scale may be used to tailor individualized fall prevention programs.