Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors – CHIEF
Measures the frequency and magnitude of environmental barriers experienced by individuals with disabilities.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors – CHIEF was developed by Whiteneck G, et al. (1997). It is designed to measure Environmental barriers. The scale is intended for use with Adults with physical or cognitive disabilities.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Physical and Structural, Services and Assistance, Attitude and Support, Policy, Work and School.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Structural | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Services and Assistance | 8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 7 |
| Attitude and Support | 15,16,17,18 | 4 |
| Policy | 19,20,21,22 | 4 |
| Work and School | 23,24,25 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Less than monthly, 2 = Monthly, 3 = Weekly, 4 = Daily, x1 = Little problem, x2 = Big problem.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 200. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal environmental barriers: 0 – 25
- Minor environmental barriers: 26 – 75
- Moderate environmental barriers: 76 – 150
- Significant environmental barriers: 151 – 200
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.93.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.