OBJECTIVE

To validate the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-Participation) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) using 2 International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based instruments: the ICF Measure of Participation and Activities-Screener (IMPACT-S) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II).

DESIGN

Validation study. Score distributions, internal consistency, and concurrent and discriminant validity were evaluated.

SETTING

The community.

PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of persons (N=157) with long-term SCI living in The Netherlands.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

USER-Participation, IMPACT-S, and WHODAS II.

RESULTS

No instruments showed floor effects, and 3 out of 6 WHODAS II domains showed ceiling effects. Most scores showed adequate internal consistency (α≥.70), except for the USER-Participation frequency scale (.51) and 2 WHODAS II domains (.58-.60). Spearman correlation coefficients between the segregate USER-Participation scales were <.60 (range, .39-.46), showing that they cover separate aspects of participation. Concurrent validity of the USER-Participation was shown because >75% (83.3%) of the 24 hypotheses (Spearman correlation coefficients above or below .60) with the other measurement instruments were confirmed. Concurrent validity between the IMPACT-S and WHODAS II was not shown (53.8% of 13 hypotheses confirmed). All scores except 4 WHODAS II domains showed significant differences in participation between persons with paraplegia and tetraplegia.

CONCLUSIONS

The USER-Participation showed generally satisfactory psychometric properties in Dutch persons with long-term SCI living in the community. The IMPACT-S showed the best psychometric properties, and the WHODAS II showed less favorable results. Future research on the USER-Participation should focus on validation in other languages and different diagnostic groups.