ABSTRACT

Objective : The aim of this study was to develop an Activity Participation Assessment reflecting Korean culture for school-age children. Methods : The evaluation tool for the children’s participation in activities was developed through four steps. First, a total of 270 activities were collected through interviews with various children and their legal guardians, as well as a review of domestic and overseas literature and databases. In the second step, the first round of selection was made for 111 of the 270 activities through a panel meeting. In the third step, a survey was conducted on 414 normal children between 7 and 12 years of age for the second round of selection for these 111 activities. In the fourth step, a second round of panel meetings was held, and based on the survey results, a total of 83 items in which the children’s participation levels were high were selected. Results : The developed Activity Participation Assessment tool for children included a total of 83 activities. Elements that reflect Korea’s unique cultural characteristics such as ‘going to a public bath and Korean sauna with the family’, ‘doing workbook exercises’, ‘going to an extracurricular academy’, ‘playing with marbles/fivestones’, and ‘playing Korean chess or go’ were included, and the need for a newly developed Activity Participation Assessment tool for children was verified. Conclusion : An Activity Participation Assessment tool reflecting Korean culture for school-age children was developed. This is the first tool for evaluating the levels of participation in various daily activities of elementary school students, and is expected to be very useful in the establishment of intervention plans and for teachers working in the Korean school system.