Reliability of the Japanese version of the Berg balance scale

The Japanese translation of the Berg balance scale (BBS) has previously been published; however, its reliability has not yet been validated. This study aimed to evaluate its reliability.

Patients took the BBS test three times; two neurologists monitored the results. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficients were calculated, and the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were determined.

Thirty-three patients with balance disturbance were recruited.

The study participants included 15 men and 18 women with a mean age of 62.8 years (SD, 14.8). For the total BBS score, the inter-rater ICC and Cronbach's α coefficient were 0.9337 and 0.9493, respectively, while the intra-rater ICC and Cronbach's α coefficient were 0.9772 and 0.9416, respectively. Most items had a relatively high ICC. The Cronbach's α coefficients were more than 0.9 for all items.

The Japanese version of the BBS was found to have a high inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and internal consistency.