Abstract
The first task of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics was to develop a set of questions for use on national censuses. Constraints inherent in the census format placed limits the number and complexity of questions included. It was decided that for each domain of functioning included in that short set, only a single question could be asked. While in some cases a single question can capture all, or most, of the information that is needed to define the continuum of functioning in a domain (seeing for example); other domains of functioning are more complex and require additional questions in order to allow for the establishment of a finer gradient of difficulty from minor to severe.
The challenge then becomes how best to combine elements of functioning described by multiple questions to develop a summary measure that describes the continuum of functioning in these domains.
The analyses that were undertaken to arrive at recommended ways to combine information from multiple domain questions are presented in this paper. The analytic strategy presented here for selected domains, based on a random sample of the US population, will form the foundation for a generalized approach to defining disability using the WG extended set of questions and pave the way for the reporting of comparable data internationally.
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Notes
- 1.
The Budapest Initiative (BI), established 2005, is a collaboration of, among others, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and Eurostat. This consortium was charged with the task of developing a short form questionnaire intended to provide the basis for the collection of comparable standardized information on population health focusing on health state for inclusion in the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS). The BI defines health state in terms of functioning in a core set of health domains.
- 2.
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has monitored the health of the nation since 1957. NHIS data on a broad range of health topics are collected through personal household interviews. Survey results have been instrumental in providing data to track health status, health care access, and progress toward achieving national health objectives.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Nazik Elgaddal (NCHS/CDC) and Laurie Pratt (NCHS/CDC) for the analytical support they provided to the work presented here.
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Appendix 1: Matrix
Appendix 1: Matrix
Washington Group/Budapest Initiative/UNESCAP/UNICEF Question Development Matrix
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Loeb, M. (2016). Development of Disability Measures for Surveys: The Washington Group Extended Set on Functioning. In: Altman, B. (eds) International Measurement of Disability. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 61. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28498-9_7
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