title: Comparing the validity of five participation instruments in persons with spinal conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the construct validity of 5 participation instruments developed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 545 subjects diagnosed and treated for a spinal condition at an acute hospital were followed-up and consented to complete a questionnaire. Subjects completed 5 participation instruments (Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA), Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP), Participation Measure-Post Acute Care (PM-PAC), Participation Objective Participation Subjective (POPS), World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II)). In addition, each subject completed a health status instrument and a quality of life instrument. The dimensionality, convergent/discriminant validity and known-group validity of the participation instruments were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A confirmatory factor analysis of the facture structure for the IPA and PM-PAC demonstrated adequate model fit. For convergent/discriminant validity, correlations were generally higher among similar domains of the WHODAS II, IPA, KAP and PM-PAC, and as expected the lowest correlations were observed with the objective domains of the POPS. Most instruments demonstrated known-group validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in the construct validity evidence of the POPS compared with the other 4 instruments were noted. To date, there is no gold standard for measuring participation, and clinicians and researchers should consider the type of information required prior to selecting an instrument.
authors.affiliation: Division of Spine, Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Vanessa.Noonan@vch.ca
authors.forename: Vanessa K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Noonan
authors.forename: Jacek A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kopec
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noreau
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Louise C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mâsse
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Marcel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dvorak
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000145:classification*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires