Peer-reviewed article
Identification of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) codes most frequently used to describe functioning in children: a systematic review.
Santos Vieira Lisboa Bordalo IM, Pereira CM, Fonseca C, Bico I ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review identifies and synthesises International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) codes used to describe child functioning across health conditions. The review analysed eight peer-reviewed studies containing 29 ICF Core Sets with 194 unique ICF categories. The findings emphasise a biopsychosocial approach, with most ICF codes relating to activities and participation, environmental factors, and body functions rather than body structures.
Key points
- Eight studies met inclusion criteria, comprising 29 ICF Core Sets with 1,665 total instances and 194 unique ICF categories
- Activities and participation accounted for 40.7% of instances, environmental factors 30.6%, body functions 27.3%, and body structures 1.4%
- Key ICF chapters included learning and applying knowledge, interpersonal interactions, support and relationships, and services and policies
- The findings support a biopsychosocial model of child functioning rather than a purely medical model
- Results inform development of a Portuguese National Functioning Table for Children and support use of ICF in multidisciplinary assessment
Limitations
This is a methodological review of ICF classification systems rather than an evaluation of child well-being outcomes or interventions to improve child health and development. It cannot tell us whether use of these ICF codes actually improves assessment quality, decision-making, or child outcomes in practice.
Abstract
Objectives To identify and synthesise the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories most used to describe child functioning across health conditions, informing inclusive, context-sensitive assessments and policy frameworks. Design Systematic review. Data sources PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL were searched from inception to September 2024 following Cochrane guidelines. Eligibility criteria Peer-reviewed studies using ICF categories to assess functioning in children (0-18 years), regardless of health condition, were included. Eligible designs comprised randomised controlled trials, observational and qualitative studies reporting ICF Core Set (CS). Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018). ICF codes were categorised by domain and synthesised narratively. Results Eight studies met inclusion criteria, comprising 29 ICF CS (1665 instances; 194 unique ICF categories after deduplication). Most instances related to activities and participation (40.7%) and environmental factors (30.6%), followed by body functions (27.3%) and body structures (1.4%). Key chapters included learning and applying knowledge, interpersonal interactions, support and relationships and services and policies. Conclusions Findings highlight a shift towards a biopsychosocial model of child functioning, emphasising participation and environmental context. Results support use of the ICF framework in multidisciplinary assessment and policy development and inform development of a Portuguese National Functioning Table for Children. Prospero registration number CRD42024588533.