Validation of the Japanese Version of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

ABSTRACT

Objective: The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) is an assessment tool for dynamic balance dysfunction developed by simplifying the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest). The purpose of our study was to examine the validity of the Japanese version of the Mini-BESTest (J-Mini-BESTest) we translated. Methods: The J-Mini-BESTest was produced using a translation and back translation method referring to a guideline proposed by Guillemin et al. We tested 20 patients with balance dysfunction due to various diseases and 7 healthy persons with the J-Mini-BESTest, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC Scale). We assessed the concurrent validity of the J-Mini-BESTest by comparing it with the other measures using the Spearman's correlation method. Results: The average assessment time when using the J-Mini-BESTest was 20.0 minutes. The J-Mini-BESTest was correlated with the BBS (<i>r</i>=0.82, <i>p</i><0.01), FES-I (<i>r</i>=-0.72, <i>p</i><0.01) and ABC Scale (<i>r</i>=0.80, <i>p</i><0.01). The distribution of the BBS scores was more skewed compared to the J-Mini-BESTest (BBS skewness=-1.30 vs. J-Mini-BESTest skewness=-0.47) and the BBS also had a ceiling effect (9 participants had a perfect score in the BBS versus none in the J-Mini-BESTest). Conclusion: The J-Mini-BESTest was suggested as a clinically useful tool for detecting subtle dynamic balance deficits with good concurrent validity.