Patterns of social participation among people with developmental disabilities and associated factors in South Korea

Background Despite growing interest in expanding the scope of social participation from passive to active, few studies have empirically examined participation patterns among people with developmental disabilities (DD), particularly in South Korea. Objective This study aimed to (1) identify latent classes of social participation among individuals with DD and (2) examine demographic, physiological, and psychosocial characteristics associated with each class. Methods We analyzed data from the 2020 Survey of Work and Life with Developmental Disabilities in South Korea (N = 3000). Latent Class Analysis (LCA), using 14 indicators of social participation, identified subgroups. Subsequently, multinomial logistic regression examined the associations between class membership and demographic, physiological, and psychosocial characteristics. Results The LCA identified four social participation classes: (1) active involvement (21.8 %), characterized by high functioning and diverse social engagement; (2) moderately active involvement (11.6 %), with relatively high engagement in cultural and leisure activities despite lower ADL/IADL functioning and self-determination; (3) passive involvement (40.1 %), with low social participation despite fewer daily functioning difficulties; and (4) social exclusion (26.5 %), marked by major difficulties in both daily and social activities. Multinomial regression analysis showed that the active or moderately active involvement classes were more likely to report individuals aged 10–30, with a college education, high smartphone proficiency, good health, mild disabilities, and high family support than the social exclusion class. Interestingly, the moderately active involvement class was more likely to be teens and at risk of discrimination compared to the social exclusion class, while the passive involvement class was more likely to be over 40 compared to the other three classes. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of considering the unique characteristics of each class in effectively promoting active social participation among individuals with DD.