Research Brief on Defining Disability for Reviews of the Literature
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project: Health and Health Care Disparities
Among Individuals with Disabilities A Publication of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire Written by:
Michelle L. Stransky, Ph.D.
March 2014
A Summary of “Searching for disability in electronic databases of published literature” by Emily S. Walsh, Jana J. Peterson, Dolores Z. Judkins,
and The Expert Panel on Health Care Disparities Among Individuals
with Disabilities. (2014). Published in Disability and Health Journal,
7(1), 114-118.
Introduction
The variety of definitions of disability used in research has implications for conclusions about the association between disability and health.1 It is important to compare and contrast information on health using all of the definitions on disability
available in the literature. Yet, doing so can be difficult because of the variety of
terminology used.
Overview
The Institute on Disability
at the University of New
Hampshire was established
in 1987 to provide a
university-based focus
for the improvement of
knowledge, policies, and
practices related to the lives
of persons with disabilities
and their families.
Walsh et al. (2014)1 summarizes a process for systematically searching for research
on disability in electronic databases of published literature. The Expert Panel recommended defining ‘disability’ using the World Health Organization’s International
Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).1, 2 The ICF was chosen
because it broadly defines disability in terms of personal, social, and environmental
relationships.1,2 Additionally, the ICF is recommended as the model of disability by
the Institute on Medicine1,3 and aligned with the goals of the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research grant that funded this project.
Summary of Findings
Walsh et al. (2014)1 found that:
Designing a search strategy for “disability” involved creating heading and key
word searches specific to the electronic database used.1 Body function impairment
search terminology, such as ‘”activities of daily living”, was preferred to conditionspecific terminology because of the vast number of health conditions. Researchers
also need to be sensitive to differences in terminology used in different fields, such as
medicine, nursing, and psychology. This strategy worked well when assessed by quality controls and in a variety of databases.
Questions/Comments:
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Summary of Implications
The search strategy described here successfully located research using a broad
definition of disability.1 Walsh et al. (2014)1 recommend that others preparing
to conduct systematic reviews use this strategy to search the literature because this
strategy was shown to include literature on a variety of types of disability while
excluding research that was not relevant to the search terms. Conducting systematic
reviews of the literature on disability and health will advance disability research and improve the
lives of people with disabilities.
Article Information
This brief contains a brief description of the background, key findings, and implications of a
published, peer-reviewed journal article. For more information on this research, please see the
complete article1: Walsh, E.S., Peterson, J.J., Judkins, D.Z., & The Expert Panel on Health Care
Disparities Among Individuals with Disabilities. (2014). Searching for disability in electronic databases of published literature. Disability and Health Journal, 7(1), 114-118. Available at: http://
www.disabilityandhealthjnl.com/article/S1936-6574%2813%2900164-7/abstract.
The contents of this brief were developed by the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project:
Health and Health Care Disparities Among Individuals with Disabilities Project (Health Disparities Project), under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute for
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), grant H133A100031. The contents do not
necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education and you should not assume
endorsement by the Federal Government.
Endnotes
Walsh, E.S., Peterson, J.J., Judkins, D.Z., & The Expert Panel on Health Care Disparities Among
Individuals with Disabilities. (2014). Searching for disability in electronic databases of published literature. Disability and Health Journal, 7(1), 114-118.
2
World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and
Health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
3
Institute of Medicine. (2007). The Future of Disability in America. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
1