title: Description of environmental determinants of quality of life in children with intellectual disability in Japan using the Delphi technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to define the framework of an environment conducive to the well-being of children with intellectually disability (CID).
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire composed of 31 items was developed through literature review. Then a 2-round Delphi survey was conducted with 3 different panels: health professionals (HPs), parents of CID, and teachers. The participants were asked to rate each item, select and rank the 10 most important items, and suggest additional ones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 71 participants responded to the first round: 24 HPs, 22 parents, and 25 teachers. In the second round the overall response rate was 83%. At the end of the exercise, 12 items reached global consensus, i.e., in all groups. Only 5 items were ranked as most important by all groups: attitudes of family members at home; attitudes of HPs and teachers; support from family members at home; support at school (classmates and teachers); and government policies. Nevertheless, the panelists' views diverged on the remaining items. Several additional elements were suggested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The views of HPs, teachers, and parents are complementary for the improvement of quality of life (QOL) of CID. The present findings will be used as a basis for the development of an instrument to assess the living environment of CID.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan, anifakalay@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Luyinga
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalay
authors.forename: Saeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: Hanako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minamoto
authors.forename: Kimiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Chang-Nian
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomoda
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueda