ABC Scale
Also written as: ABC Scale — Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale
The Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale; a self-report questionnaire measuring a patient's confidence in performing daily activities without losing balance, used to assess prosthesis users' perceived stability.
Full Definition
The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale is a 16-item patient-reported outcome measure in which respondents rate their confidence (0–100%) in performing specific daily tasks without stumbling or losing balance. In prosthetics, the ABC Scale is widely used as a functional outcome measure at initial fitting and follow-up to track improvements in perceived balance confidence. Editors should note that 'ABC Scale' is the accepted abbreviated form; it should not be confused with the generic use of 'ABC' as a mnemonic or with other assessment tools. The full expansion 'Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale' should appear at first use. Scores are reported as a mean percentage, and clinically meaningful change thresholds have been established for prosthesis users.
Usage
Usage note: Spell out the full name at first use; note the hyphen in 'Activities-specific'. Report scores as a percentage mean, not as a raw sum.
In Context
- "The patient's ABC Scale score improved from 54% at baseline to 78% following eight weeks of prosthetic gait training." — Prosthetic rehabilitation research outcomes table
- "The draft referred to 'the ABC assessment'; this was corrected to 'the ABC Scale' and the full name inserted at first reference." — Journal manuscript copyediting note