Objectives : This study aimed to develop the Korean version of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II-K) with community dwelling elderly population.
Methods : The WHODAS 11-K was administered to 1204 community residents a~bed 65 or over in two areas of Kwangju, South Korea, in 2001. For assessing `health condition´, data on physical illness, depression (Korean version of Geriatric Mental State Schedule B3), and cognitive dysfunction (Korean version of Mire-Mental State Examination) were collected. For evaluating `contextual factors´, informations on demographic characteristics (age, gender, living area, marital state, and religion), socioeconomic status (education, type of accommodation, number of room, previous occupation, and current employment), and
socio
economic network were obtained.
Results : WHODAS 11-K showed high levels of internal consistency, split-half reliability, and inter-rater and test-retest
reliabilities. In the correlation analyses, scores on the WHODAS 11-K were significantly correlated with the unfavorable conditions in the all variables on health condition and contextual factors. Partial correlations of scores on the With health condition were significant even after controlling for contextual factors. WHODAS II-K
Conclusion : The WHODAS 11-K is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing disability in elderly population since it reflects physical illness, depression, and cognitive impairment, which are common in elderly. (J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc 2004;43 (0:86-92)
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