Investigation of Community Integration in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Within the Scope of International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

The number of adults living with congenital heart disease continues to rise, emphasizing the need to understand the challenges they encounter to enhance disease management. This study aimed to evaluate adults with CHD using the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) framework and explore factors associated with community integration. Holistic assessments were conducted encompassing all dimensions of the ICF framework, including Body Structures (echocardiography and electrocardiography findings), Body Functions (6-Minute Walk Test, Muscle Strength, Hand Grip Strength, and Fatigue Severity Scale), Activity-Participation (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Multidimensional Quality of Life Scale, and Community Integration Questionnaire), and Environmental-Personal factors (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale- 21, and Physical Activity Barriers Scale). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between community integration and other parameters, with variables showing significant correlations included in the multiple linear regression analysis. The mean age of 42 CHD participants was 24.61 ± 7.27 years. The Community Integration Questionnaire correlated with the Physical Activity Barriers Scale (r = 0.310, p = 0.046), Multidimensional Quality of Life Scale (r = 0.441, p = 0.003), and 6-min walk test (r = 0.364, p = 0.021). "Access to health personnel," a sub-dimension of the Multidimensional Quality of Life Scale, and 6-min walk test distance predicted the Community Integration Questionnaire score, explaining 30.7% of its variance (r = 0.554; r² = 0.307; F = 8.197; p = 0.001). The findings suggest that community integration in individuals with CHD is linked to body function, activity-participation, and environmental-personal factors. This study highlights the importance of evaluating patient-reported outcome measures in the domain of community integration, especially considering the shifting demographics of congenital heart disease.