Development of Cut-off Values on the Berg Balance Scale for Predicting Walking Independence in Older Adults with Hip Fracture

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to identify a cut-off value for predicting walking independence at discharge in older adults with hip fracture based on their Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score at admission to a convalescent rehabilitation ward. METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational study of 187 older adults with hip fractures (mean age 83.7, range 66–97 years). Data was collected on the patients’ age, sex, treatment, and physical function evaluation. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors associated with the degree of independence in walking at discharge. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to estimate cut-off values to predict independent and supervised walking at discharge based on the BBS score at admission. The accuracy of the classification was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: The BBS score at admission was a significant factor predicting the degree of walking independence at discharge (odds ratio = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.06–1.11). The cut-off values of the BBS score at admission for predicting independent walking and supervised walking at discharge were 28 points (AUC = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.69–0.83) and 21 points (AUC = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.77–0.91), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The BBS scores of older adults with hip fracture on admission to a rehabilitation ward are useful for predicting the degree of independence in walking at discharge and can help to structure therapy according to the predicted degree of independence.