Community participation of children with cerebral palsy in Serbia: Conceptual considerations and evaluation

Abstract

ID intellectual disability LIFE-H Assessment of Life Habits MACS Manual Ability Classification System PEM-CY Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth SCPE Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe TD typical development WHO World Health Organizationdomain reflects an interaction between the Health Condition, on the one hand, and the Contextual Factors (Environmental Factors and Personal Factors), on the other hand (WHO, 2013). These interactions are bidirectional (Figure 1). The model suggests dynamic and reciprocal relations among the components (Peterson, 2005).Health Condition is an umbrella term for diseases (acute or chronic), injuries, and disorders. Body Functions refer to the physiological functions of body systems, whereas body refers to the human organism as a whole, including the brain. Body Structures are the structural or anatomical parts of the body such as organs, limbs, and their components classified according to body systems (WHO, 2011).The current environment is described using environmental factors, that is, physical, social, and attitudinal environment in which people live and conduct their lives. At the same time, the ICF model recognizes personal factors, for instance, age, gender and social status. These factors can affect how much an individual participates in society. Research on ICF models indicates that contextual factors play a moderating role and that they also mediate between ICF components by influencing the direction and/or strength of their association (Rouquette et al., 2015). As stated, Contextual Factors have two components: Environmental Factors and PersonalFactors and these factors constitute the context of an individual's life. It is also important to note that these factors constitute the background against which health states are classified in the ICF framework (WHO, 2011).Environmental factors refer to the physical, social, and attitudinal environment in which people live and conduct their lives. Barriers are factors in an individual's environment that, through their absence or presence, limit functioning and create disability. Facilitators are factors in an individual's environment that, through their absence or presence, improve functioning and reduce disability.Personal factors relate to the individual, such as age, gender, social status, life experiences, motivation and self-esteem (WHO, 2011).