Conceptual and Operational Considerations in Identifying Socioenvironmental Factors Associated with Disability among Community-Dwelling Adults

Mathieu Philibert, Robert Pampalon and Mark Daniel
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Mathieu Philibert: Département de Sexologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
Robert Pampalon: Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Montréal, QC H2P 1E2, Canada
Mark Daniel: Departement de Medecine Sociale et Preventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Disability is conceived as a person–context interaction. Physical and social environments are identified as intervention targets for improving social participation and independence. In comparison to the body of research on place and health, relatively few reports have been published on residential environments and disability in the health sciences literature. We reviewed studies evaluating the socioenvironmental correlates of disability. Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase and CINAHL databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 1997 and 2014. We found many environmental factors to be associated with disability, particularly area-level socioeconomic status and rurality. However, diversity in conceptual and methodological approaches to such research yields a limited basis for comparing studies. Conceptual inconsistencies in operational measures of disability and conceptual disagreement between studies potentially affect understanding of socioenvironmental influences. Similarly, greater precision in socioenvironmental measures and in study designs are likely to improve inference. Consistent and generalisable support for socioenvironmental influences on disability in the general adult population is scarce.

Keywords: disability; social participation; activities of daily living; residential characteristics; environments; socioeconomic inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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