Assessments of interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Norwegian version of the Berg Balance Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interrater reliability and the internal consistency of the Norwegian version of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) when applied to patients in a geriatric department.

DESIGN: Interrater reliability was measured using the kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

SETTING: Geriatric rehabilitation unit and geriatric day hospital in Norway.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-three patients were included; 25 were inpatients in a geriatric rehabilitation unit, whereas 58 were admitted to a geriatric day hospital.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The BBS.

RESULTS: The kappa values for the different BBS items varied from 0.83 to 1.00, and the ICC for the sum score of the BBS was .998 (95% confidence interval, .996-.999). The mean value of the BBS was 44.4. There was a negative significant relation between age and the sum score (r=-.36). The sum scores of BBS ranged from 12 to 56. The patients were able to perform the BBS without ceiling effect. The score values 3 and 4 were more frequently used than the score values 0, 1, and 2.

CONCLUSIONS: The Norwegian version of the BBS seems to have an excellent interrater reliability and high internal consistency when applied to patients in geriatric rehabilitation.