Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC)

Authors

Affiliations

Nate Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Form

Participant instructions: For each of the following activities, please indicate your level of confidence in doing the activity without losing your balance or becoming unsteady from choosing one of the percentage points on the scale from 0% to 100% If you do not currently do the activity in question, try and imagine how confident you would be if you had to do the activity. If you normally use a walking aid to do the activity or hold onto someone, rate your confidence as if you were using these supports.

ABC item scoring with unofficial abstract anchors

Percentage	Unofficial Anchor
0%	No confidence
10-30%	Slightly confident
40-60%	Moderately confident
70-80%	Fairly confident
90%	Very confident
100%	Completely confident

If this all makes sense, let’s try a practice run. Use this slider to select your confidence:

Not reported

How confident are you that you will not lose your balance or become unsteady when you…

Q1: Walk around the house?

Walk up or down stairs?

Bend over and pick up a slipper from the front of a closet floor?

Reach for a small can off a shelf at eye level?

Stand on your tip toes and reach for something above your head?

Stand on a chair and reach for something?

Sweep the floor?

Walk outside the house to a car parked in the driveway?

Get into or out of a car?

Walk across a parking lot to the mall?

Walk up or down a ramp?

Walk in a crowded mall where people rapidly walk past you?

Are bumped into by people as you walk through the mall?

Step onto or off of an escalator while you are holding onto a railing?

Step onto or off an escalator while holding onto parcels such that you cannot hold onto the railing?

Walk outside on icy sidewalks?

1. Walk around the house? Not reported
2. Walk up or down stairs?
3. Bend over and pick up a slipper from the front of a closet floor?
4. Reach for a small can off a shelf at eye level?
5. Stand on your tip toes and reach for something above your head?
6. Stand on a chair and reach for something?
7. Sweep the floor?
8. Walk outside the house to a car parked in the driveway?
9. Get into or out of a car?
10. Walk across a parking lot to the mall?
11. Walk up or down a ramp?
12. Walk in a crowded mall where people rapidly walk past you?
13. Are bumped into by people as you walk through the mall?
14. Step onto or off of an escalator while you are holding onto a railing?
15. Step onto or off an escalator while holding onto parcels such that you cannot hold onto the railing?
16. Walk outside on icy sidewalks?

Total ABC score: N/A

Scoring: Total ABC score / 16 = % Self confidence

Scoring: N/A / 16 = N/A % Self confidence

For medicare patients we can calculate percent impairment:

100% - % Function = % Impairment