Measuring Perceived Environment Barriers in Korean Community-Dwelling Persons with Physical Disabilities

본 연구는 대전에 거주하고 있는 200명의 신체장애인을 대상으로 확증적 요인분석을 실시하여 한국어판 CHIEF의 구성개념타당도를 검증하였다. 장애인의 사회참가에 영향을 미치는 환경적 장애를 측정하는 The Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors(CHIEF)에 대하여 구조방정식 모형을 사용하여 대상자의 인구사회학적 특성,Barthel Index, 인지적 환경장애와의 관련성을 검증하였다. 확증적 요인분석의 결과, 5개 분야의 하위척도와 2차원 구조의 구성개념타당도가 입증되었다. 구조방정식 모형의 검증 결과, 인지적 환경장애는 연력이나 성별과 같은 개인적 특성 보다는 일상생활동작과의 관련성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 환경적 장애, 사회참가의 정도를 측정하는 도구인 CHIEF가 이번 조사 대상인 지역 거주 장애인의 환경적 장애, 사회참가를의 정도를 측정하는데 유용하다는 것을 입증하였다고 하겠다.

The social environmental barriers are considered to be important because the "social participation" of people with impairments would be facilitated by the prevention and reduction of environmental barriers. The Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) is one of the few scales to assess the environmental barriers. In this study, we evaluated the Korean version of CHIEF construct validity and utility in a sample of Korean community-dwelling persons with physical disabilities. We evaluated the construct validity of the CHIEF by testing the original five-factor structure using a confirmatory factor analysis in 200 physical disabilities in Deajoen, Korea. The utility of the CHIEF was then assessed by examining the relationships between individual characteristics, Barthel Index and perceived environmental barriers, measured by the CHIEF, using a structural equation modeling approach. The confirmatory factor analysis result demonstrated the validity of a second- order factor model of the CHIEF comprising the five factors as first-order factors. The perceived environmental barrier was a second-order factor when provided acceptable fit indices after two modifications. The structural equation modeling indicated that perceived environmental barriers was significantly related to activities of daily life but not age, gender. The CHIEF is useful in measuring environmental factors in Korean community-dwelling persons with physical disabilities.