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

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.

Design

Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting

Outpatient, multidisciplinary amputee clinic.

Participants

Patients (n = 45) using a prosthesis, aged ≥ 18 years, with a unilateral transfemoral or transtibial amputation of ≥1 year, were included.

Methods

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 (p ≤ 0.0125).

Results

After controlling for potential covariates (i.e. age, sex, and body mass index), balance-confidence explained 47.4% of the variance in CIQ (p = 0.000), 53.0% of the variance in LCI (p = 0.000), 20.3% of the variance in Timed Up and Go (p = 0.001), and 18.2% of the variance in 6 Minute Walk Test (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Lower balance-confidence is associated with less community participation, lower self-perceived mobility, and poorer performance among patients with a unilateral lower-limb amputation.