Introduction / Rationale: Community participation is considered one of the most important outcomes of rehabilitation but how to accurately access this construct is unclear. As technology advances, measuring community participation has moved from subjective self-reports to include objective tools, such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and accelerometers. Objective measurement tools seem to provide more accurate and consistent insight into community participation. However, the best practice for quantifying community participation is unknown.
Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to explore the existing literature on measurement strategies that utilize at least one objective measure for quantifying community participation.
Methods / Approach: A scoping review was conducted. The search was performed across 5 different electronic databases until April 2023, and the EndNote and Rayyan software programs were utilized to manage citations, delete duplicates, and facilitate screening. At least 2 researchers independently screened and extracted data from each article, and additional researchers were consulted for conflicting decisions.
Results / Practice Implications: The search yielded 20 studies published between 2010 to April 2023. Out of all identified studies, only ten utilized the term community participation and no universal construct of community participation was identified. Both subjective and objective data were gathered over 7 consecutive days, most commonly utilizing GPS logger devices and activity diaries.