Balance Confidence: A Predictor of Perceived Physical Function, Perceived Mobility, and Perceived Recovery 1 Year After Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effect of balance confidence measured at 1 month poststroke rehabilitation on perceived physical function, mobility, and stroke recovery 12 months later.

DESIGN

Longitudinal study (secondary analysis).

SETTING

Multisite, community-based.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling individuals (N=69) with stroke living in a home setting.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale; physical function and mobility subscales of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0; and a single item from the Stroke Impact Scale for perceived recovery.

RESULTS

Balance confidence at 1 month postdischarge from inpatient rehabilitation predicts perceived physical function (model 1), mobility (model 2), and recovery (model 3) 12 months later after adjusting for important covariates. The covariates included in model 1 were age, sex, basic mobility, and depression. The covariates selected for model 2 were age, sex, balance capacity, and anxiety, and the covariates in model 3 were age, sex, walking capacity, and social support. The amount of variance in perceived physical function, perceived mobility, and perceived recovery that balance confidence accounted for was 12%, 9%, and 10%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

After discharge from inpatient rehabilitation poststroke, balance confidence predicts individuals' perceived physical function, mobility, and recovery 12 months later. There is a need to address balance confidence at discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation.