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Assistive Products and Technology to Facilitate Activities and Participation for Children with Disabilities.

ABSTRACT: We aimed to identify activity limitations and participation restrictions encountered by children and youth with disabilities for which assistive products and technology could be helpful. We used a convergent, parallel, mixed-methods design involving a nationwide, French survey composed of closed questions (quantitative) and open questions (qualitative) that enlightened the quantitative data. A total of 1055 responses were received, and 962 included: 92 from children and youth with disabilities, 493 from relatives and 377 from professionals. Difficulties frequently checked and described in detail were participation in recreational activities, leaving the house and traveling, participating in a group, and getting ready. Transversal explanations for difficulties were spontaneously provided (e.g., lack of accessibility and mobility). Solutions proposed included personal assistive devices to facilitate home life, high-tech devices, devices to compensate for impaired body functions, and adaptation of the familiar environment and daily activities. Few public solutions were proposed. The necessity of human assistance was emphasized. The mixed-methods design and involvement of different stakeholders identified common, macroscopic trends in difficulties encountered and desired solutions. Products and technology are required in the following domains: the familiar environment, accessibility and mobility, sports and leisure, high-technology, and family support. We provide suggestions to facilitate the development of innovative solutions.

SUBMITTER: Mensah-Gourmel J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9915405 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assistive Products and Technology to Facilitate Activities and Participation for Children with Disabilities.

Mensah-Gourmel Johanne J Thépot Margot M Gorter Jan Willem JW Bourgain Maxime M Kandalaft Christèle C Chatelin Alain A Letellier Guy G Brochard Sylvain S Pons Christelle C

International journal of environmental research and public health 20230123 3

We aimed to identify activity limitations and participation restrictions encountered by children and youth with disabilities for which assistive products and technology could be helpful. We used a convergent, parallel, mixed-methods design involving a nationwide, French survey composed of closed questions (quantitative) and open questions (qualitative) that enlightened the quantitative data. A total of 1055 responses were received, and 962 included: 92 from children and youth with disabilities, ...[more]

PMID: 36767453

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Project description:BackgroundMany community-dwelling individuals living with a disability use mobility assistive technologies (MATs). MAT devices are generally beneficial for individuals with mobility impairments. However, less is known about the specific factors that may foster or deter mobility and community participation.ObjectiveThe purpose of this protocol is to describe the methodology for a study including three main objectives: (1) to understand the places people using MAT go and the things they do, (2) to identify perceived barriers and facilitators as well as users' desired environmental modifications, and (3) to understand subjective and objective issues related to environmental accessibility.MethodsA mixed-methods study was conducted in Vancouver and in Quebec City. Qualitative interviews were conducted to address all three objectives. In addition, Objective 1 was achieved through collection of global positioning system (GPS) data and activity diaries with 36 participants per site who represented six types of MAT users (ie, cane, walker, crutches, manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, and scooter). All participants were invited to take part in all aspects of data collection. PhotoVoice was used to address Objectives 2 and 3. Two environmental audits were used to address Objective 2. The Stakeholders' Walkability/Wheelability Audit in Neighbourhood (SWAN) measured perceptions related to a variety of community environmental features associated with mobility and participation. A total of 24 participants were recruited to each study site for SWAN data collection. The Measure of Environmental Accessibility (MEA) was also used to objectively measure access to exterior and interior environments selected earlier in the project by the participants that could benefit from improvements.ResultsFunding for this study was obtained from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Approval was obtained from the University of British Columbia Research Ethics Board and the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale Research Ethics Board. Regarding the MEA evaluations, 19 locations (ie, buildings and exterior spaces) where obstacles have been identified by the participants of the PhotoVoice focus groups have been evaluated in Quebec City and 20 locations have been identified in the Vancouver region by the participants of the community forums. Data collection for this project was completed in December 2018. Analysis and writing of manuscripts are underway.ConclusionsThe use of a variety of methods to gather data on participation and mobility will allow a more holistic consideration of factors influencing mobility with a MAT device. This study will provide objective information about the mobility of participants and identify barriers and facilitators that impact their mobility and community participation. Through the mixed-methods approach employed in this study, we will gain a subjective evaluation of the participants' neighborhoods, including personally meaningful information on environmental features that influence participants' everyday mobility and participation. We will also gain an objective evaluation of particular obstacles that community users of MAT identify as significant barriers to their ability to access public environments. We anticipate that these findings will help to identify a broad spectrum of solutions to improve the mobility and community participation of MAT users.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/12089.

Project description:AIM:To describe and compare the socio-demographic characteristics and community-based participation of children with and without disabilities. METHOD:This cross-sectional study reports data on 1073 children with disabilities (663 males, 410 females) and 11 122 children without disabilities (5617 males, 5505 females) aged 10 to 12 years from the fifth sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study. χ2 was used to explore differences between the two groups. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships between childhood disability (dependent variable) and socio-demographic characteristics. Logistic regression models were also used to examine the associations between childhood disability (dependent variable) and participation in community-based activities. RESULTS:Children with disabilities were more likely to be male, have psychosocial and behavioural problems, live in single-parent households, and have a parent with a longstanding illness. Patterns of community-based participation were similar between children with and without disabilities. However, the extent to which the two groups participated differed. Children with disabilities participated with lower frequency in unstructured physical activities (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.95-2.99), organized physical activities (adjusted OR 2.29; 95% CI: 1.83-2.86), religious gatherings (adjusted OR 2.08; 95% CI: 1.35-3.20), and getting together with friends (adjusted OR 3.31; 95% CI: 2.61-4.20). INTERPRETATION:Socio-demographic characteristics differed between children with and without disabilities. Children with disabilities had greater restriction in participation compared to peers without disabilities. Participation promoting interventions are required to support the participation of children with disabilities in social and physical activities. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS:Patterns of community-based participation were similar between children with and without disabilities. Children with disabilities had lower frequency of participation in physical activities, religious gatherings, and getting together with friends.

Project description:AimThe aim of this review was to synthesize empirical evidence of family factors associated with participation of children with disabilities aged 5 to 12 years to inform the development of family-centred participation-fostering interventions.MethodA systematic search was performed for articles published in English between 2001 and 2017 in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and ASSIA following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality of evidence was appraised using the Research Triangle Institute Item Bank. Family factors associated with participation were identified and assessed using a multistage 'semi-quantitative' approach.ResultsThirty studies were included in the review. Four non-modifiable 'status' factors consistently associated with participation were parental ethnicity, parental education, family type, and family socio-economic status. Six modifiable 'process' factors with consistent associations with participation were parental mental and physical health functioning, parental self-efficacy beliefs, parental support, parental time, family preferences, and activity orientation.InterpretationRehabilitation professionals should direct their focus towards modifiable family factors as primary targets for family-centred interventions. Strategies that can improve families' access to information, counselling, and community support services are likely to support children's participation by empowering families and optimizing their health and well-being.What this paper addsNon-modifiable 'status' and modifiable 'process' factors are important in participation of children with disabilities. Disadvantaged family circumstances shaped by status factors are associated with reduced participation. Key process factors for intervention are parental mental and physical health and parental self-efficacy beliefs. Other important process factors for intervention are parental support and time, family preferences, and activity orientation.

Project description:In homes, problems in daily functioning of older people often occur in the bathroom, especially in the transfers to the toilet and/or shower/bath. Assistive products have the potential to maximise functional independence (i.e. performance without assistance from another person) in everyday activities; however, more research is needed to better understand the impact of this technology on independence in the transfers in the bathroom. Additionally, little is known about the role of the environmental factors in the process of implementing bathroom adaptations. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between the use of assistive products and independence in the transfers in the bathroom. The secondary objective was to determine the role of the environmental factors in predicting the implementation of bathroom adaptations. 193 community-dwelling older adults with disabilities in the basic activities of daily life, who requested public long-term care services in Spain, were included. Data was collected in the participant´s homes using a standardised assessment procedure. There was no significant association between the number of categories of assistive products used in the toilet transfer and the independent performance of this task. In a multivariate model, the number of categories of assistive products used in the transfer to shower/bath was positively associated with the independent performance of this transfer (OR = 2.59, 95%CI = 1.48-4.53; p = 0.001). A multivariate analysis revealed that social functioning was significantly associated with the implementation of a bathroom adaptation; social risk was lower in participants who made an adaptation (OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.63-0.93; p = 0.006). Assistive products may play an important role in promoting independence in the bathroom. Assistive product needs should be addressed when planning community-based interventions aimed at improving daily life. Moreover, social functioning had a strong influence on the installation of bathroom adaptations, suggesting the importance of paying special attention to social factors in the home adaptations planning process.

Dataset Information

Assistive Products and Technology to Facilitate Activities and Participation for Children with Disabilities.

Publications

Assistive Products and Technology to Facilitate Activities and Participation for Children with Disabilities.

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