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 K 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 K 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 pet-form 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.