According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”.1 Participation, considered as a construct composed of attendance and involvement,2 is a major outcome for people with disabilities. Much of the recent literature on adults with cerebral palsy (CP) has addressed "Activities and Participation".3 For young adults, “participation in major life areas” has received attention from reserachers3 as this transitional period appears to have important outcomes for persons with CP.4

Differences in participation compared with non-CP peers have been demonstrated in the few existing studies specifically addressing young adults with CP. They participated less than their non-CP peers in a variety of domains including community life, interpersonal and intimate relationships.5 Factors suggested to relate to lesser participation by young adults with CP were sex, self-esteem, physical ability, and type and severity of impairment.5,6

The effect of sociodemographic characteristics on participation has been studied. Social participation was observed to differ according to sex and age, with men and older people being less likely to be involved in social relationships.5,7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Social participation increased from childhood up to adolescence and then, depending on pursuit of education or working life, decreased in older adulthood.11, 12, 13, 14 In addition to functional issues, household income and age showed direct effects on participation at home in children with and without CP.9,15,16 Lastly, various authors observed that socioeconomic status or income appeared to be important determinants of participation in various studies.17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), socioeconomic status and student status were considered as contextual factors, while sex, age, country, population size of area of residence and parental level of education were considered as personal factors.

There is a lack of knowledge about how people with CP compare with their non-disabled peers during young adulthood, and about significant determinants of participation. The present study aimed (1) to estimate the difference in participation between young adults with CP and their non-disabled peers, (2) to test the mediating role of contextual factors (financial difficulties and student status), (3) to test the moderating role of personal factors (sex, age, country, population size of area of residence and parental level of education) on participation, and (4) to test the moderating role of impairment.