Extent of environmental factors influence code (ICF 2001) [X]N

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Environmental factors make up the physical, social and attitudinal environment in which people live and conduct their lives. The type of environmental factor, external from the individual, can have a positive or negatvie influence on a person's participation as a member of society, on performance of activities, or on a person's body function or structure. 

Identifying whether, and by how much, environmental factors are influencing an individual's level of functioning, and whether the influence is a facilitator or barrier, may indicate the sorts of interventions that will optimise the individual's functioning. This information may be for policy development, service provision, or advocacy purposes. Preventative strategies could be indicated by this information.

This metadata item contributes to the definition of the concept 'Disability' and gives an indication of the experience of disability for a person.

Code +0 No facilitator:

Is recorded when the environment factor(s) do not impact in a positive way on the impairment ofbody structures or function, activity or participation of a person.

Code +1 Mild facilitator:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a positive way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 5-24% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code +2 Moderate facilitators:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a positive way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 25-49% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code +3 Substantial facilitators:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a positive way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 50-95% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code +4 Complete facilitators:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a positive way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 96-100% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code +8 Facilitator not specified:

Is recorded when there is insufficient information to record the Extent of environmental influence code (ICF 2001) N in classes +1 to +4.

Code 0 No barrier:

Is recorded when the environment factor(s) do not impact in a negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person.

Code 1 Mild barriers:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 5-24% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code 2 Moderate barriers:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 25-49% of the time the person participates in that specified area.

Code 3 Severe barriers:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 50-95% of the time the person participates in that specified area.

Code 4 Complete barriers:

Is recorded when the environmental factor(s) impact in a negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person between 96-100% of the time the person participates in the specified area.

Code 8 Barrier not specified:

Is recorded when there is insufficient information to record the Extent of environmental influence code (ICF 2001) N in classes 1 to 4.

Code 9 Not applicable:

Is recorded when environmental factors impacts in neither a positive or negative way on the impairment, activity or participation of a person or for between 0-4% of the time the person participates in that specified area.

This metadata item is recorded in conjunction with Environmental factors code N to indicate the extent to which specified environmental factors influence the body function or structure, the activity or participation of a person. The 'extent of influence' of the environmental factors is affected both by the degree or strength of the influence, and the amount of time the influence is experienced by the person.

This coding is used in conjunction with specified environmental factors that may be related in turn to specified activities or participation domains (depending on the coding option chosen). For example, 'products and technology for communication are a moderate facilitator to participation in exchange of information'. The WHO offers three coding conventions for environmental factors, namely to code factors:

• as they affect the person overall;
• as they broadly affect each of the disability components: body function, body structure, activities and participation;
• against every single body function, body structure, activity or participation code used.

Source and reference attributes

Relational attributes