Development and validation of the ICF-CY-Based Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System--Child Version in Taiwan

Ai-Wen Hwang; Chia-Feng Yen; Tsan-Hon Liou; Gary Bedell; Mats Granlund; Sue-Wen Teng; Kwang-Hwa Chang; Wen-Chou Chi; Hua-Fang Liao

doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2015.11.002

Development and validation of the ICF-CY-Based Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System--Child Version in Taiwan

J Formos Med Assoc. 2015 Dec;114(12):1170-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2015.11.002. Epub 2015 Dec 15.

Authors

Ai-Wen Hwang¹, Chia-Feng Yen², Tsan-Hon Liou³, Gary Bedell⁴, Mats Granlund⁵, Sue-Wen Teng⁶, Kwang-Hwa Chang⁷, Wen-Chou Chi⁸, Hua-Fang Liao⁹

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Early Intervention, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
² Department of Public Health, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
⁵ School of Health Science, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
⁶ Bureau of Nursing and Health Services Development, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, Chungshan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁹ School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: hfliao@ntu.edu.tw.

PMID: 26705138
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2015.11.002

Abstract

Background/purpose: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health-Children and Youth version (ICF-CY) depicts human functioning [body functions (b), structures (s), and activities and participation (d) components] as the product of the interaction between health conditions and contextual factors [environmental factors (e) and personal factors]. In Taiwan, testers use the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System-Child version (FUNDES-Child) to collect information related to b, d, and e for children aged 6.0-17.9 years in the Disability Eligibility System (DES). The purpose of this study was to examine the content and construct validity of the FUNDES-Child.

Methods: We developed the FUNDES-Child through translating the existing questionnaires, cross-cultural adaptation, expert consensus, and field tests. Consensus meetings were conducted to link items from the FUNDES-Child to ICF-CY codes. To investigate construct validity, we examined associations among scores from the FUNDES-Child that reflected ICF-CY chapter-linked components.

Results: The FUNDES-Child items were successfully linked to all nine d-, five b-, and four e-chapters of the ICF-CY. Moderate correlations were found between scores that were expected to be related to specific chapters in the b, d, and e components. The scores of the b-chapters had stronger relationships with the d independence scores, while attitudes of others (e4) had stronger relationships with the d participation frequency scores.

Conclusion: The FUNDES-Child had acceptable content validity and construct validity in the DES. The associations found among the ICF-CY chapter scores provided a model for investigating the impact of body functions and environmental factors on children's activities and participation.

Keywords: International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health; disability evaluation; disabled children; eligibility determination; social participation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Disability Evaluation*
Disabled Children*
Female
Humans
International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health / standards*
Male
Social Participation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Taiwan