Measuring Participation - Discussion of the Theoretical Foundations of Current Assessment Instruments

Background: For children and adolescents social participation is a central goal of rehabilitation processes. Available measurements and evaluation tools are exposed to the problem that the theoretical foundation of the construct of participation is still unclear as well as differentiation from activity in the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF/ICF-CY) of the WHO is not made sufficiently. Objectives: The objectives of this article were (1) to illustrate the scientific discussions on the term and understanding of participation from rehabilitation science perspectives and (2) to conclude implications for practice and science. Materials and Methods: A systematic search for participation instruments was performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC und EMBASE in August 2014. Results: The available instruments are based on very different definitions of participation. The discussion about the term seems to be not yet complete. A major demand is a better operationalization of activity and participation according to the ICF/ICF-CY in the instruments. Conclusions: Before using an existing instrument, the transferability should be tested for the own context. The theoretical assumptions of participation in conjunction to ICF/ICF-CY as well as the objectives of the instrument should all be clearly understood before using an existing instrument but also before the development of new instruments.