Wooton, Angela Kaye2016-03-092016-03-092011-12http://hdl.handle.net/10125/101488Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2011.Includes bibliographical references.Falls are a major concern for older adults. Research suggests older adults do not accurately assess their actual balance and gait abilities placing them at risk of a fall. Although deficits in balance performance in older adults are normally attributed to underlying physiological factors, psychological constructs such as balance confidence may be associated with balance performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the associations between balance confidence and balance performance in community-dwelling older adults, and to describe the relationships between sociodemographic, and socioeconomic characteristics of older adults, 65 years of age and older. A correlational non-experimental research design was used to investigate the associations between balance confidence and balance performance in older adults. The study sample consisted of 140 community-dwelling older adults, 65 to 100 years of age. Data was collected from three residential apartment complexes in Henderson, Kentucky. Study participants completed the Demographic Questionnaire, Folstein Mini-Mental Exam (MMSE), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale and the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) Tool. Study results indicated a significant correlation between balance confidence and balance performance F (7, 132) = 40.45, p < .001. Balance confidence, cognitive health, and number of falls were significant (p < .001) predictors of overall gait and balance performance on the POMA Tool. These three predictors explained 68.2% (R² = .682) of the variance in the multiple regression models. This study provided evidence of the associations between balance confidence and balance performance in community-dwelling older adults. The ABC scale is a useful screening tool which can be used to identify older adults with deficits in balance confidence, placing them at higher risk for impaired balance, which may progress to a traumatic fall. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of balance confidence on impaired balance and/or gait, which has been associated with falls in older adults.engbalanceThesis