Lessons learned from different approaches towards classifying personal factors.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Classification Systems
• Psychology

Background:

• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework for health and disability.
• Personal Factors (PF) are crucial components of the ICF but lack a standardized classification.
• Existing categorizations of PF vary significantly in structure and origin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically examine and compare existing suggestions for classifying Personal Factors (PF) within the ICF framework.
• To identify commonalities and differences across various PF categorization systems.
• To inform the development of a unified ICF classification for Personal Factors.

Main Methods:

• Conducted qualitative and quantitative content analyses of multiple PF categorizations.
• Compared the structure and content areas of eight distinct PF categorizations.
• Synthesized findings to identify a core set of PF content areas.

Main Results:

• Identified 12 broad content areas covered by existing PF categorizations, including socio-demographic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional factors.
• Observed significant differences in the background and structure of the categorizations.
• Found a notable similarity in the broad content areas addressed, aligning with the ICF definition of PF.
• Highlighted 12 key content areas: socio-demographic factors, behavioral and lifestyle factors, cognitive psychological factors, social relationships, experiences and biography, coping, emotional factors, satisfaction, other health conditions, biological/physiological factors, personality, motives/motivation.

Conclusions:

• A common core of content issues for a potential ICF Personal Factors classification was identified.
• Valuable lessons were learned from comparing existing categorizations.
• The findings provide a foundation for future development activities related to ICF PF classification.