Validating the Assessing Student Competence and Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (ASCK-SDH) Instrument

The impact of the social determinants of health (SDH) on health outcomes is receiving increased attention. Health profession students need to learn about SDH; however, there are no validated tools to measure student competence in assessing SDH. There is a need for a brief, valid instrument to measure student competency and knowledge of SDH. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected pre (N=394) and post (N=387) for an interprofessional learning event. We utilized principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation to determine the internal structure of the tool. The original measure consisted of 11 items; the analysis resulted in two factors. Based on the two factors it was determined the three items from Factor 2 were not contributing to the scale; therefore, they were removed. The final measure, Assessing Student Competence & Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (ASCK-SDH), consists of eight items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The measure indicated high internal consistency at pre (Cronbach’s α= 0.81) and post (Cronbach’s α=0.89) tests. The ASCK-SDH tool provides a valid instrument to measure student competence and knowledge about SDH and can be used to assess learning

Validating the Assessing Student Competence and Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (ASCK-SDH) Instrument

The impact of the social determinants of health (SDH) on health outcomes is receiving increased attention. Health profession students need to learn about SDH; however, there are no validated tools to measure student competence in assessing SDH. There is a need for a brief, valid instrument to measure student competency and knowledge of SDH. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected pre (N=394) and post (N=387) for an interprofessional learning event. We utilized principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation to determine the internal structure of the tool. The original measure consisted of 11 items; the analysis resulted in two factors. Based on the two factors it was determined the three items from Factor 2 were not contributing to the scale; therefore, they were removed. The final measure, Assessing Student Competence & Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (ASCK-SDH), consists of eight items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The measure indicated high internal consistency at pre (Cronbach’s α= 0.81) and post (Cronbach’s α=0.89) tests. The ASCK-SDH tool provides a valid instrument to measure student competence and knowledge about SDH and can be used to assess learning

Evaluating Interprofessional Competencies and Knowledge of and Confidence in Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Promoting health requires coordinated, team-based interventions responsive to multiple determinants of health. This study aimed to determine if interprofessional competencies and knowledge of and confidence in addressing the social determinants of health improved following an interprofessional learning event. A two-group randomized controlled trial was used to determine study outcomes among 408 health science students from 14 health profession programs in the Midwest. Formed groups were randomly assigned to the customary medical-based (control) or social determinants of health focused (experimental) case study. In small groups students engaged in a case study simulation and offered recommendations for intervention. Small improvements in knowledge of the social determinants of health were found among participants in both groups. Interprofessional competencies largely showed no significant differences between using the case study which emphasized social determinants of health compared to a medically based case study. The suggestions for interventions resulted in more frequent recommendations related to socioeconomic status and access to health care among students in the experimental group versus the recommendation of medically based health services among students in the control group. Additional qualitative research is recommended to learn more about how groups collaborated to form these recommendations

Development of Learning Materials to Address Social and Medical Factors Impacting a Minoritized Population

Health outcomes are multi-factorial. Health professionals must weigh all factors when making recommendations and providing intervention, however, limited learning materials which describe the health of minoritized populations exist for students in health science educational programs, necessitating the development of content for interprofessional learning that address the health factors experienced by underserved populations. This study used a descriptive design. Eleven expert content reviewers from eight health science and medical professions were recruited and provided feedback on the quality and content of a developed case study that described the lifestyle and health status of an individual from an ethnic minoritized population. Participants strongly agreed that the content strengthened the case study’s usefulness as a tool for interdisciplinary education. Most reviewers strongly agreed that social factors were a key component of the case and that it was suitable for use in interdisciplinary education. Incorporating social determinants into a case was viewed favorably by case reviewers who indicated that the components of the case were high quality and important as a tool for interprofessional education

Differences between Meaningful and Psychologically Rewarding Occupations: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Purpose of the Study. To investigate whether: 1) there were differences between psychologically rewarding and meaningful occupations; 2) there were differences between South Dakota and South African research participants regarding perceptions of meaningful and psychologically rewarding occupations; and 3) psychological rewards contributed to the perceived meaningfulness of occupations. Methods. Fifty two individuals participated in the study (twenty from four public Universities in South Dakota, United States, and 32 from a University in Cape Town, South Africa). Participants were randomly cued on the phone 5 times/day, Monday through Sunday. Each time when cued, they documented what they were doing, with whom, and the type of occupation in which they were engaged. They responded to two questionnaires inquiring about their mood and perceived meaning of the occupation in their lives. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, and Chi-Square goodness of fit test were performed on SPSS for windows, version 24.0. Results/Findings. Participants perceived occupations performed with other people to be more meaningful than those performed alone. Also, participants had a more positive mood when performing occupations with other people rather than alone. Occupations connecting one with other people elicited the most positive mood, followed by those that were perceived as fun, and physically stimulating. Occupations connecting one with other people were perceived to be the most meaningful, followed by those that were physically, and mentally stimulating. Positive mood was a significant predictor for the meaning associated with occupations. Finally, there was a relationship between the grouping and the types of occupations performed. Overall, participants tended to participate most frequently in obligatory type occupations. However those from South Africa tended to participate more in mentally stimulating occupations, and those that connected them with other people; while South Dakota participants tended to perform more obligatory and unspecified type occupations. Conclusions. While occupations connecting a person with other people and those that were physically stimulating were perceived to be meaningful and at the same time they elicited positive mood, fun was a specific characteristic of occupations that were associated with positive mood. Further, performing occupations with other people enhanced the meaning of the occupations and elicited positive mood. There were significant differences between South Dakota and South African samples in regard to types of occupations performed, but all participants tended to participate in obligatory type occupations most frequently. Key words: occupation, meaning, psychological rewards, cultural difference

Meaningful living through occupation : occupation-based intervention strategies for occupational therapists and scientists

In this book, Ikiugu and Pollard explore the notion of meaningfulness, in the light of Viktor Frankl's (1992) assertions that the will to meaning is the primary motivation for behavior in human existence, and that the frustration of the pursuit for meaning in the modern and Western world constituted what he termed 'existential vacuum', leading in turn to what he called 'noogenic neurosis' or 'the disease of meaninglessness' The authors then show how occupation can be used in meaning-making to counter the 'disease of meaninglessness'. Though the notion of the notion of meaningfulness is central to occupational therapy practice (AOTA, 2008), it has never really been investigated in depth in the profession's literature This book is aimed at occupational therapy and occupational science students, occupational therapy clinicians, and occupational scientists. Each chapter begins with learning objectives, personal growth objectives, and definition of key terms, followed by the content, and finally by self-exploration exercise. This approach makes the book applicable to students who are studying the relationship between occupation and meaningful living. The exercises are experiential making it possible for people to apply these concepts in their own lives. This is a unique, new approach which has not been used much in occupational therapy and occupational science literature before. The approach has been tested by the authors teaching experience on the philosophical and theoretical foundaitons of occupational therapy and the therapeutic use of self. About the authors Moses N. Ikiugu is Professor of Occupational Therapy, University of South Dakota, USA Nick Pollard is Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, Sheffield Hallam University, U

The 4th International MOHO Institute: Summary and Reflections

The 4th International Institute on the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) was held October 23-24, 2015 at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, USA. The title of the institute was: Reaching Out: Application of MOHO in Academic-Practice Partnerships