Review Article: Mapping of children's health and development data on population level using the classification system ICF-CY.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate if essential health and development data of all children in Sweden in the Child Health Service (CHS) and School Health Service (SHS) can be linked to the classification system International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health--Children and Youth (ICF-CY).


METHODS
Lists of essential health terms, compiled by professionals from CHS and SHS, expected to be used in the national standardised records form the basis for the analysis in this study. The essential health terms have been linked to the codes of ICF-CY by using linking rules and a verification procedure.


RESULTS
After exclusion of terms not directly describing children's health, a majority of the health terms could be linked into the ICF-CY with a high proportion of terms in body functions and a lower proportion in activity/participation and environment respectively. Some health terms had broad description and were linked to several ICF-CY codes. The precision of the health terms was at a medium level of detail.


CONCLUSIONS
ICF-CY can be useful as a tool for documenting child health. It provides not only a code useful for statistical purposes but also a language useful for the CHS and SHS in their work on individual as well as population levels. It was noted that the health terms used by services mainly focused on health related to body function. This indicates that more focus is needed on health data related to child's functioning in everyday life situations.
Ståhl
Ylva
Y
School of Health Sciences, Research School Health and Wellfare, Jönköping, Sweden. ylva.stahl@hhj.hj.se
Granlund
Mats
M
Gäre-Andersson
Boel
B
Enskär
Karin
K
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000145:classification*; D002662:Child Health Services; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000145:classification*; D004282:Documentation; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D012572:School Health Services; D013548:Sweden