Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Thai version of the updated perceived control of falling scale

Abstract

Objective: Falls are a major health issue among older adults, often leading to injuries, reduced quality of life, and concern about falling. The Updated Perceived Control over Falling Scale (UP-COF) assesses perceived control over falling, a critical factor in fall prevention, but it has not been adapted for use in Thailand. This study aims to translate and cross-culturally adapt the UP-COF into Thai and examine its reliability and validity in older adults.

Materials and Methods: The UP-COF was cross-culturally adapted following translation guidelines. Prefinal testing with 20 older adults resulted in minor adjustments. The test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Thai UP-COF were evaluated in 50 older adults. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1), and validity was determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient with the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The UP-COF demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability with an ICC (2,1) of 0.75. Concurrent validity was confirmed, as total UP-COF scores were significantly negatively correlated with FES-I scores (r = -0.525, 95% CI [-0.701, -0.289], p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The Thai version of the UP-COF is a reliable and valid tool for assessing perceived control over falling in older adults. It can support clinical and research efforts to enhance fall prevention strategies and improve the quality of life in this population.