Balance-confidence is associated with community participation, perceived physical mobility, and performance-based function among individuals with a unilateral amputation

Abstract

To explore relationships between balance-confidence and: 1) community participation; 2) self-perceived mobility; and 3) performance-based physical function among individuals with a lower-limb amputation using a prosthetic. <b>Design</b>: Retrospective, cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient, multidisciplinary amputee clinic. <b>Participants</b>: Patients (<i>n</i> = 45) using a prosthesis, aged ≥ 18 years, with a unilateral transfemoral or transtibial amputation of ≥1 year, were included. <b>Methods</b>: Participants completed the following self-report measures: Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC); Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ); Locomotor Capabilities Index (LCI); and two performance-based measures (i.e. Timed Up and Go and 6 Minute Walk Test). Linear regression modeling was used to explore relationships between balance-confidence (i.e. ABC) and self-report (i.e. CIQ and LCI) and performance-based measures (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.0125). <b>Results</b>: After controlling for potential covariates (i.e. age, sex, and body mass index), balance-confidence explained 47.4% of the variance in CIQ (<i>p</i> = 0.000), 53.0% of the variance in LCI (<i>p</i> = 0.000), 20.3% of the variance in Timed Up and Go (<i>p</i> = 0.001), and 18.2% of the variance in 6 Minute Walk Test (<i>p</i> = 0.001). <b>Conclusion</b>: Lower balance-confidence is associated with less community participation, lower self-perceived mobility, and poorer performance among patients with a unilateral lower-limb amputation.