Correlation analysis of balance and postural stability as a risk for falls in individuals with visual impairment

Abstract

Vision is critical for human balance. Visual impairment (VI) decreases the ability of individuals to maintain balance and greatly impacts the activities of daily living. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess balance in individuals with VI using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale regarding its correlation with fall risk. A total of 88 participants were eligible for this study. We administered pre-tested questionnaires for demographic conditions and history of falls after recruiting participants; following that, BBS and ABC Scale tests were conducted for the participants. A t-test was used to determine statistically significant differences between the means in the fall and non-fall groups. A Pearson bivariate correlation test and linear regression were used to determine the existence of relationships between BBS and ABC variables. In all, 51 participants in this study had experienced falls within 1 year (fall group), while 37 participants had falls over the past 1 year (non-fall group). The fall group had a lower mean of BBS (49) and ABC (69) scores than the non-fall group; also, there was a significant correlation between the BBS and ABC Scales ( p < .05). The type of VI and sex also had significant differences in the risk of falls. These findings suggest that individuals with VIs should raise their awareness about improving aspects of balance in the body with specific exercise and training to minimize the risk of falls.