The Balance Intensity Scales for Therapists and Exercisers Measure Balance Exercise Intensity in Older Adults: Initial Validation Using Rasch Analysis

Abstract

Background: The Balance Intensity Scales (BIS) have been developed to measure the intensity of balance exercise in older adults. Objective: The objective was to determine whether the BIS for therapists (BIS-T) and for exercisers (BIS-E) are unidimensional measures of balance exercise intensity, able to be refined using the Rasch model into a hierarchical item order, and appropriately targeted for the older adult population with a variety of diagnoses in a range of exercise testing settings. Design: This was a scale development study using a pragmatic mixed-methods approach. Methods: Older adult exercisers (n = 108) and their therapists (n = 33) were recruited from a large metropolitan health..