Validation of the Keele Assessment of Participation as a Community Participation Measure for Young Adults With Epilepsy: A Brief Report

Epilepsy is one of the most common central nervous systems (CNS) disorders, making people with epilepsy vulnerable to recurrent seizures. Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination against people with epilepsy greatly limit their opportunities to participate in meaningful community activities. Research has indicated that community participation can significantly improve their health and function, social connection, self-esteem, social and life skills, and employment. There is a need for a psychometrically sound measure for rehabilitation counselors to assess community participation levels and provide counseling interventions for people with epilepsy in their caseload. In this study, we validated the psychometric properties of the Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) in a sample of young adults with epilepsy (N = 194) using exploratory factor analysis. Results indicated a two-factor measurement structure accounting for 67.80% of the total item variance. The two KAP factors (participation in basic activities and participation in complex activities) were significantly associated with documented constructs (epilepsy severity, epilepsy-related depression, epilepsy self-management efficacy, and social support) in the nomological network of community participation, supporting its construct validity. The KAP can be used by rehabilitation counselors to assess community participation levels of people with epilepsy.