Citation

Park SH, Lee YS. West. J. Nurs. Res. 2016; 39(11): 1502-1525.

Affiliation

San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA ylee@mail.sdsu.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0193945916670894

PMID

27784833

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive validity of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) as a screening tool for fall risks among those with varied levels of balance. A total of 21 studies reporting predictive validity of the BBS of fall risk were meta-analyzed. With regard to the overall predictive validity of the BBS, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.72 and 0.73, respectively; the accuracy curve area was 0.84. The findings showed statistical heterogeneity among studies. Among the sub-groups, the age group of those younger than 65 years, those with neuromuscular disease, those with 2+ falls, and those with a cutoff point of 45 to 49 showed better sensitivity with statistically less heterogeneity. The empirical evidence indicates that the BBS is a suitable tool to screen for the risk of falls and shows good predictability when used with the appropriate criteria and applied to those with neuromuscular disease.

© The Author(s) 2016.

Language: en