The factors associated with community participation: Employment and education of people with disabilities in Turkey

Background: People with disabilities are facing not just health problems; they also experience restriction of participation due to various barriers. However, there is limited knowledge of which factors can be important to their community participation. Aim: This study investigated the factors that are associated with community participation of people with disabilities. Methods: A sample of 270 people with disabilities (aged range 18-55 years) recruited randomly through the "Turkish People with Disabilities Association". This study, followed a survey design, took place in 15 cities in Turkey and a city of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ), Functional Independence Measure, Measure of Quality of the Environment, Leisure Satisfaction Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Short-Form-12 were used. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship of the dependent variable (CIQ) with the factors. Results: The results indicated that the community participation was importantly associated with employment and educational status, functional level, quality of life and satisfaction from leisure activities (p < 0.05). Wheelchair users' participation level was lower than that of the other mobility groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study provides a rich description of the multifaced nature of participation and its association with the factors such as employment, education, and leisure. Moreover, in terms of these factors and community participation, wheelchair users were the most disadvantaged group of people with disabilities at different mobility level.