Abstract

Participation and autonomy are two of the vital treatment and rehabilitation outcomes for people with chronic illness and disability including people with cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate psychometric properties of Impact on Participation and Autonomy Scale (IPA) with a sample of cancer patients. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze data collected from 186 cancer patients who completed the IPA, Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ), Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS) Scale, and role functioning subscale of the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). In contrary to original the five-factor solution, the results provided a better fit for a three-factor correlated model (the three factors: ADL/IADL, social relations, and employment and education. The IPA factors were significantly associated with supportive healthcare climate, role functioning, and life satisfaction in the theoretically expected directions providing support for the validity of the scale. Overall, The IPA is a psychometrically sound measure of participation and autonomy that can be used to assess cancer survivors’ levels of community participation for treatment planning and selection of evidence-based healthcare and psychosocial interventions for cancer survivors.