Original article
Participation Survey/Mobility: Psychometric Properties of a Measure of Participation for People With Mobility Impairments and Limitations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2005.09.014Get rights and content

Abstract

Gray DB, Hollingsworth HH, Stark SL, Morgan KA. Participation Survey/Mobility: psychometric properties of a measure of participation for people with mobility impairments and limitations.

Objective

To describe the development and psychometric properties of a self-report survey of participation by people with mobility limitations, the Participation Survey/Mobility (PARTS/M).

Design

The information obtained during interviews and focus groups was used to develop items for the PARTS/M. Demographics and measures of disability, health, and functioning were collected. The PARTS/M was administered twice.

Setting

Primarily in the midwestern United States.

Participants

Purposeful sample of 604 people with mobility limitations having a diagnosis of spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, or postpoliomyelitis.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measure

PARTS/M is composed of 20 major life activities that are placed in 6 domains used in the activity/participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: self-care; mobility; domestic life; interpersonal interactions and relationships; major life areas; and community, social, and civic life. For each activity, questions were asked about components of participation including frequency, health-related limitations, importance, choice, satisfaction, use of assistive technology, and use of personal assistance.

Results

PARTS/M domains and components of participation had good internal consistency and stability. Composite participation scores were developed for participation components and domains.

Conclusions

PARTS/M is a reliable measure of some aspects of participation in major life activities for people with mobility impairments and limitations living in community settings.

Section snippets

Development of Survey Instrument

The development of the PARTS/M was included in a project that had a goal of producing 2 measures: one of participation and one of environmental barriers and facilitators to participation. Survey questions were based on qualitative studies of participation of people with mobility impairments and limitations in major life activities (PARTS/M).35 The PARTS/M items were developed by using 15 key informant interviews and 15 focus groups using the ICIDH-2 as a contextual framework.17 In-depth

Reliability

Responses to each survey question for all activities (eg, dressing, vacationing, parenting, working, socializing) and domains (eg, self-care, mobility, domestic life) were examined for internal consistency and stability (table 4). The self-care domain showed the highest internal consistency (.91) followed by the community, social, and civic life domain (.85). The stability (test-retest reliability) values (Pearson r) of all domains were .77 or higher.

The second approach taken to determine the

Discussion

The PARTS/M is a reliable and valid measure of participation in major life activities for people with functional mobility impairments and activity limitations in environments in which they live. By using the ICF as framework, the PARTS/M provides a measure of many components of participation included in existing but separate instruments. This allows the user to assess each subject’s current level of participation that he/she deems to be important and to provide a guide for changes that may help

Conclusions

The PARTS/M can be used to test the concept that disability incorporates not only personal limitations but also the environmental factors that may restrict or facilitate participation in doing activities in lived environments. The PARTS/M provides a measure for extending beyond basic functioning (eg, hearing, seeing, walking) and basic body functions (eg, bowel and bladder control, dressing, grooming) to participation in major life activities (eg, travel, parenting, intimacy, leisure, work)

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  • Cited by (0)

    Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (grant no. R04/CCR714134), the Missouri Department of Public Health Contract (grant no. C003019001), and the National Institutes of Health (grant no. R21 HD45885-01).

    No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.

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