The Role of Occupational Science in Public health and Wellbeing Practice

In this paper I will explain the link between occupational science and public health and wellbeing. The explanation will include discussion of common areas of interest such as environmental sustainability. It will also determine the importance of establishing and understanding the meanings of human occupation in public health practice and consider why interventions that ignore peoples’ meanings of occupation are unlikely to succeed. The scope of contemporary public health is broad and it encompasses a range of issues from global environmental sustainability to individual health behaviours. Environmental sustainability issues are inextricably linked to human activities to the extent that Pratarelli (2012) has proposed that we should refer to ‘human activity issues’ rather than ‘environmental issues’. Occupational science commentators such as Whiteford and Hocking (2012) have also talked about the significance of human occupation in relation to environmental degradation. This is just one example of the link between occupational science and public health. Occupational science includes a quest to understand why people do as they do (Hocking and Wright-St Clair 2011). Next in this paper and using the public health issue of skin cancer prevention as an example, I explain why interventions that ignore peoples’ meanings of occupation are unlikely to succeed. I illustrate with findings from a grounded theory study designed to explore why young women do as they do in the sun

A grounded theory of female adolescent behaviour in the sun: comfort matters.

The aim of the research was to generate a grounded theory to explain the behaviour of young women in the sun. The study sought to explore the sun-related experiences of young women in order to gain new insights into the influences upon them. The study was qualitative by design and utilised grounded theory method as developed by Glaser. Twenty female participants, aged 14 to 17 years old were included in the study. They formed six groups. Thirteen interviews were carried out with the groups and six one-to one interviews took place with individuals. All interviews were semi-structured and were based upon the participants' experiences of being in the sun. Data was analysed using the constant comparative method of data analysis, concordant with Glaserian grounded theory method. Five explanatory categories emerged from the data; Fitting In, Being Myself, Being Physically Comfortable, Slipping Up and a core category of Being Comfortable. One of the issues that emerged was that some young women believed their social acceptance depended on their appearance and they conformed to this end. The theory, derived from the categories, proposes that when in the sun, young women direct their activities toward meeting physical and psychosocial comfort needs. Comfort matters to them because it has implications for their wellbeing. This thesis contributes to the literature about the behaviours of young women in the sun. By increasing understanding of the factors that influence them, it also adds to the body of knowledge related to the primary prevention of skin cancer with teenage girls in the United Kingdom. The outcome of the research and its contribution to knowledge is a grounded theory, which explains the basis of the behaviours of young women in the sun. It appears that no other study has explored the experiences of UK adolescent females specifically, in a qualitative way and with the intention of producing a theory to explain them

Principles of Lifeworld Led Public Health Practice in the UK and Sweden: Reducing Health Inequalities.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of the lifeworld perspective in reducing inequalities in health and we explain how the public health practitioner can use this perspective to address public health issues with individuals and groups. We offer ideas for public health actions that are based on and deal with the lifeworld context of individual people or families. Each of the dimensions of the lifeworld temporality, spatiality, intersubjectivity, embodiment and mood are outlined and their significance explained in relation to health inequalities. Suggestions for action to reduce health inequalities are made and overall principles of lifeworld led public health practice are proposed by way of conclusion. The principles comprise understanding the community members' lifeworld view, understanding their view of their potential, offering resources and facilitating empowerment, and sharing lifeworld case studies and lobbying to influence local and national policy in relation to both the individual and communities

A grounded theory of female adolescent behaviour in the sun : comfort matters

The aim of the research was to generate a grounded theory to explain the behaviour of young women in the sun. The study sought to explore the sun-related experiences of young women in order to gain new insights into the influences upon them. The study was qualitative by design and utilised grounded theory method as developed by Glaser. Twenty female participants, aged 14 to 17 years old were included in the study. They formed six groups. Thirteen interviews were carried out with the groups and six one-to one interviews took place with individuals. All interviews were semi-structured and were based upon the participants' experiences of being in the sun. Data was analysed using the constant comparative method of data analysis, concordant with Glaserian grounded theory method. Five explanatory categories emerged from the data; Fitting In, Being Myself, Being Physically Comfortable, Slipping Up and a core category of Being Comfortable. One of the issues that emerged was that some young women believed their social acceptance depended on their appearance and they conformed to this end. The theory, derived from the categories, proposes that when in the sun, young women direct their activities toward meeting physical and psychosocial comfort needs. Comfort matters to them because it has implications for their wellbeing. This thesis contributes to the literature about the behaviours of young women in the sun. By increasing understanding of the factors that influence them, it also adds to the body of knowledge related to the primary prevention of skin cancer with teenage girls in the United Kingdom. The outcome of the research and its contribution to knowledge is a grounded theory, which explains the basis of the behaviours of young women in the sun. It appears that no other study has explored the experiences of UK adolescent females specifically, in a qualitative way and with the intention of producing a theory to explain them.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

What does care farming provide for clients? The views of care farm staff

Care farming in the UK can help the agricultural community to remain viable and facilitate public interaction with the natural environment. It can also be therapeutic because it can address a range of public health and service provision issues by engaging people in farming activities and improving their health, social and educational circumstances. This paper presents the findings from a UK qualitative study exploring what care farming staff feel are the aims and potential outcomes of the experience they provide with their clients. Fifteen care farming staff were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview schedule. In summary the study findings show staff perceived that the care farm offered a homely, supportive environment where people can experience nature and sustainable food production. They perceived the care farm to be a place that provides an inclusive environment conducive to clients’ personal growth; it enables them to connect with themselves, others and nature and to develop autonomy. People can be themselves at the care farm where they have the opportunity to learn about themselves and nature. We consider how the issues care farm staff identified are linked with well-being theory

Lived experiences of young pregnant women who smoke

Background Smoking tobacco during pregnancy can lead to adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes. Aim To gain insight of smoking during pregnancy from young pregnant women’s lived experience. Method A descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five women aged 18-20 years who had smoked tobacco during pregnancy. Findings Themes that emerged from the data were related to culture and routine, psychological wellbeing, self-efficacy, public opinion, recognition of harm, whom they spoke to about smoking, and the approaches that helped behaviour change. Conclusions Midwives were seen as the trusted health professional by the young women and a non-judgemental approach was valued to promote self-efficacy. Smoking cessation services were not recognised as beneficial, and cutting down, rather than using nicotine replacement therapy or e-cigarettes, was preferred

Reducing health inequalities through public health practice- the role of the lifeworld

Abstract Reducing health inequalities through public health practice– the role of the lifeworld This paper reflects work in progress as we apply humanisation theory and the lifeworld approach to public health practice. In particular we are focussing on the reduction of health inequalities and in the process of exploring how the politics of representation (or how people are portrayed) can lead to the creation of ‘otherness’ and ‘othering’ and ultimately dehumanising practice in public health. We that people can become ‘locked’ into a circle of disadvantage and inequality because ‘poverty knowledge’ and the politics of representation have an impact on practice through objectification and ‘othering’. We suggest the lifeworld approach as a constructive alternative to generating knowledge to underpin policy and practice; a type of knowledge based on uniqueness rather than homogenisation because through knowing about people’s senses of themselves and their experiences we can learn about the specific barriers preventing them from escaping their cycles of circumstance. By using a lifeworld approach to underpin policy and practice we are advocating learning through ‘not knowing’ in the first instance and listening then acting instead