A comparative review of contemporary participation measures' psychometric properties and content coverage.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a review of contemporary participation measures' conceptual foundations, psychometric properties and linkage to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

DATA SOURCES: Major medical databases, including PubMed, Medline, PsychInfo, and CINAHL.

STUDY SELECTION: Articles that described the psychometric properties of generic measures of adult participation published in English between 1998 and 2008 were included.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently reviewed each measure using recognized quality criteria for health questionnaires. Individual items were linked to the ICF using established linking rules.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Eight measures met the inclusion criteria: Impact on Participation and Autonomy, ICF Measure of Participation and Activities, Keele Assessment of Participation, Assessment of Life Habits, Participation Profile, Participation Survey/Mobility, Participation Scale, and the Participation Measure for Post-Acute Care. The selected measures were based primarily on the ICF and demonstrated moderate to good validity and reliability, but psychometric information was often incomplete. The most commonly addressed ICF domains were mobility; domestic life; social interactions; major life domains; and community, social, and civic life.

CONCLUSIONS: This review provides tools--a detailed review of individual participation measures, a comparative table of the measures' psychometric properties, and ICF linkages-and a set of 3 guiding questions to help users select appropriate participation measures.