Participation extent code (ICF 2001) N

Guide for use:

In the context of health, participation is involvement in a life situation. Participation restrictions are problems an individual may experience in involvement of life situations.

This metadata item contributes to the definition of the concept 'Disability' and gives an indication of the experience of disability for a person.

This metadata item may be used to describe the extent of participation in life situations for an individual with a disability. The standard or norm to which an individual's participation is compared is that of an individual without a similar health condition in that particular society. The participation restriction records the discordance between the experienced participation and the expected participation of an individual without a health condition. The definition of 'particular society' is not specified and will inevitably give rise to different interpretations. If limiting the interpretation, it will be necessary to state the factors which are taken into account, for example, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, education, locality (town, state, rural, remote, urban).

Extent of participation is always associated with a health condition. For example, a restriction in participation in exchange of information may be recorded when the person has had a stroke, but not when the restriction is associated only with linguistic diversity, without a related health condition.

A value is attached to restriction of participation (i.e. a participation restriction is a disadvantage). The value is dependent on cultural norms, so that an individual can be disadvantaged in one group or location and not in another place.

The ICF is intended to be grounded in a human rights philosophy, and its relationship to the UN Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities endorsed by the United Nations in 1994 is acknowledged. The purpose of the Rules is to ensure that people with disabilities, as members of their societies, may exercise the same rights and obligations as others.

This metadata item gives an external rating of the extent of restriction in participation in terms of duration, frequency, manner or outcome. The coding is used with specified Participation domains, for example, 'mild restriction of participation in mobility'.

CODE 9 Not applicable

This code is recorded when participation in a life area is not relevant, such as employment for an infant.

Context:
Human functioning and disability.

Origin:

World Health Organization (WHO) 2001. ICF: International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Geneva: WHO 

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2003. ICF Australian User Guide Version 1.0. Canberra: AIHW