Reliability and Validity of Fall Behavioral Scale for Older People

Aim: The purpose of this methodological study was to adapt the Fall Behavioral Scale (FaB Scale) for older people to evaluate behavioral factors that could potentially protect against falling, to Turkish language and population and test its reliability and validity.

Method: The sample of the research was became 60 year old and above 180 elderly people who lives in their houses in İstanbul and able to do daily life activities themselves and cognitively normal. This 4 point likert scale became 30-items and 10 subscales. This scale was developed in English language therefore we used translation and back translation then reviewed by an expert for examined content validity. FaB-T’psycohometric characters analyses examined via items total score correlation, Pearson correlation analyses, Cronbach Alpha value,, test-retest correlation and confi rmatory factor analyses methods.

Results: Participants’descriptive characteristics was found like this; avarage of age 68.72±7.31, 51,6% female, 46,7 % primary school graduate, 92,8% have health insurance. Fall ratio was found 37,8% in the recent year. Content Validity Index=.94, Cronbach Alpha value α=.90, items total score correlation found between r=.23-.70 (p=.01). Two weeks test-retest correlation found r=.96. Confi rmatory factor analyses results found same as original.

Conclusion: This study showed that Turkish Version of Fall Behavioral Scale (FAB) was reliable and valid tool to determined to identify the older person’s awareness of and practice of behaviours that could potentially protect against falling. We suggest to using of this tool on different elderly groups.