Article

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the association between perceived
environmental barriers and perceived participation in everyday life situations
encountered by people with late effects of polio. A sample of 45 persons with
clinically verified late effects of polio answered the Swedish versions of the
Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPA-S) and the Craig Hospital
Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF-S). The relationships between the
perceived occurrence of a broad range of environmental barriers and perception of
participation in life situations and problems with participation were explored.
The majority of the respondents perceived that they encountered environmental
barriers, but their occurrence was generally infrequent and their magnitude
tended to be low. The barriers identified in the physical/structural subscale
were generally most strongly related to problems with participation, compared
with the four other environmental subscales. A high frequency of never
encountering environmental barriers in the three subscales physical/structural,
work and education, and policies in CHIEF-S were significantly related to more
reports of good participation in IPA-S. These associations indicate that the
participation of those with late effects of polio is influenced by their
perception of the barriers they encounter. Further studies of these concepts can
provide a greater understanding of disabilities and help us to promote
participation in life situations for people with late effects of polio.

Langue : ANGLAIS