Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth.

Background: Participation in daily activities provides many opportunities for children with and without disabilities to improve cognitive, physical and communication abilities; to develop social relationships and to promote adaptive behaviours. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Participation Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) in Turkish children and youth with and without a disability.

Methods: A total of 410 parents of children with (n = 232) and without (n = 178) disabilities, aged 5-17 years, were included in this study. Cronbach's alpha (α) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were evaluated for internal consistency and test-retest reliability, respectively. Discriminant validity was determined by comparing the differences in participation and environment scores for disability groups and age intervals with the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post-hoc analyses when results were statistically significant.

Results: Internal consistency (0.67-0.80) and test-retest reliability (0.67-0.93, p < 0.0001) ranged from moderate to very strong for different summary scores. Discriminant validity of the Turkish version of PEM-CY was supported by significant differences between children with and without disabilities on participation and environment scales (p < 0.05). We identified some significant age differences, but they did not follow consistently.

Conclusions: The Turkish version of the PEM-CY is a valid and reliable tool to determine the participation and environmental factors in the home, at school and in community settings in Turkish children and youth aged 5-17 years, with and without disabilities.