The Promise of Occupational Therapy: Occupational Engagement

Occupational engagement was first described in 1980 by Elizabeth Yerxa. Forty years later, the concept has no consensual definition in the literature. Despite a lack of common agreement, occupational engagement has been used to describe the ultimate goal of occupational therapy in several documents of associations and research articles. The opinion piece discusses the importance and implications of a lack of consensual concept definition for the profession of occupational therapy and focuses on five descriptions of occupational engagement in the literature. The word "promise" expresses the message occupational therapists send through their organizations, institutions, clinical practice, and research to society and stakeholders that can benefit from occupational therapy services. The descriptions of occupational engagement are presented to illustrate how the literature understands the phenomenon differently. The literature presents definitions that diverge in four meanings: (a) occupational performance; (b) occupational participation; (c) occupational balance, routine and skills; and (e) beyond performance. As a final consideration, this opinion piece highlights the need for action in exploring the concept of occupational engagement in the profession of occupational therapy and in the discipline of occupational science

Occupational engagement: some assumptions to inform occupational therapy

Occupational engagement has been conflated with other concepts, such as participation, active occupational performance, and therapeutic engagement. This critical review will discuss occupational engagement as a unique concept that describes a form of involvement in doing that does not require performance and foregrounds the subjective-affective and cognitive experiences of doing. We present some attributes of occupational engagement and the implications for the lack of clarity of this concept within the literature. The difference between occupational engagement and therapeutic engagement is discussed by comparing the foundational tenets of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E). Through one illustrative narrative, we discuss how occupational engagement can be understood as a phenomenon that is not performance-dependent and has different levels of engagement. To conclude, we point out some assumptions about occupational engagement that can inform occupational therapy research and practice

Occupational participation and engagement of woman experiencing premenstrual syndrome: A qualitative study

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome is commonly experienced by women of reproductive age and encompasses somatic, psychological and behavioural symptoms that recur during the luteal stage of menstrual cycle and resolves during or after menstruation. Although premenstrual syndrome has gained growing interest in recent years, the experience of women living with premenstrual syndrome has not yet been explored from an occupational perspective. Method: This qualitative study an used exploratory and descriptive design to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of women with premenstrual syndrome through an occupational lens. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with four women living with premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Findings: Three themes were identified: (1) occupational disturbance, (2) social impairment and occupational disengagement, and (3) the importance of self-awareness to engage in occupations. Women with premenstrual syndrome symptoms experienced difficulties that impacted their ability to engage in occupations including self-care, productivity and leisure, interfering with their occupational routine and interpersonal relationships. A level of awareness was considered important to manage premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of this study are relevant to understanding the impact of premenstrual symptoms on daily living and for tailoring future interventions to address the occupational needs in women with premenstrual syndrome

Life satisfaction and time-use among full-time and part-time working mothers in Brazil

BACKGROUND: Working part-time or full-time is a persistent dilemma for women, especially mothers, as they strive to manage their time across various roles. However, the existing literature remains unclear on whether part-time work contributes more to life satisfaction than full-time work. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe and compare time-use patterns in different occupational roles and levels of life satisfaction among 795 mothers in Brazil who are employed either part-time or full-time. METHODS: Data was collected through an online survey and the snowball technique. Regression and correlation analyses were performed on the data obtained from the following instruments: the Role Checklist for assessing time-use within occupational roles, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and demographic information. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed no significant differences in life satisfaction between mothers working full-time and those working part-time (t (793)=1.160, p = 0.24). However, life satisfaction scores were positively correlated with the number of occupational roles performed (r = 0.222, p <  0.01), higher family income (P <  0.001), and engagement in social roles such as Friend (r = 0.106, p = 0.003), Hobbyist/Amateur (r = 0.08, p = 0.018), and Caregiver (r = 0.07, p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: While our society places significant emphasis on time spent at work, our findings highlight that life satisfaction extends far beyond the dichotomy of working part-time or full-time. There are deeper dimensions to consider, including the number of occupational roles, family income, and engagement in social roles, which have a more substantial impact on overall life satisfaction

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Convergent Validity of Occupational Self-Assessment for Brazilian Portuguese

The Occupational Self-Assessment version 2.2 (OSA) is a self-assessment of the client’s occupational competence and values. To describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of OSA into Brazilian Portuguese (OSA-Brazil) and examine its reliability and validity for use with the Brazilian population. Assessment translation was guided by two international guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of standardized instruments. Face validity was tested with 24 participants. Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity were tested with a convenience sample of 40 participants. The cross-cultural adaptation process concluded with a consensus among the expert panel review (r > 80%) and evidence of strong face validity. The OSA-Brazil demonstrated appropriate test–retest reliability (r > 0.70) and convergent validity with the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (p < .05). The OSA-Brazil has good face validity, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity. The assessment can be used by the Brazilian occupational therapists to assess client’s occupational competence

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Face Validity of the Functional Mobility Assessment into Brazilian Portuguese.

Introduction. The Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) measures satisfaction with mobility devices in daily life. However, in Brazil, there is a lack of instruments which measure functional mobility. Objective: We aim to report the cross-cultural adaptation process and face validity of the FMA for use in Brazil. Methods: Two international guidelines were used in the cross-cultural adaptation process. Two independent translators translated the instrument from English to Brazilian Portuguese, and the two versions were reconciled. Two different translators back translated this reconciled version, and an expert committee analysed the resulting synthesis. For face validity, the FMA was applied with 24 participants, divided into two groups, users with disabilities (n = 12) and occupational therapy students (n = 12) and occupational therapy students (. Results: The cross-cultural adaptation of the FMA was concluded, and its face validity presented that both groups understood most or completely all instrument items. Conclusion: The Brazilian version of FMA is now available in Brazilian Portuguese and has face validation. Further studies should test its psychometric properties

Relationship between functional fitness, medication costs and mood in elderly people

Objective: to verify if functional fitness (FF) is associated with the annual cost of medication consumption and mood states (MSt) in elderly people. Methods: a cross-sectional study with 229 elderly people aged 65 years or more at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Coimbra, Portugal. Seniors with physical and psychological limitations were excluded, as well as those using medication that limits performance on the tests. The Senior Fitness Test was used to evaluate FF, and the Profile of Mood States - Short Form to evaluate the MSt. The statistical analysis was based on Mancova, with adjustment for age, for comparison between men and women, and adjustment for sex, for comparison between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles. The association between the variables under study was made with partial correlation, controlling for the effects of age, sex and body mass index. Results: an inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the annual cost of medication consumption was found (p < 0.01). FF is also inversely associated with MSt (p < 0.05). Comparisons between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles showed higher medication consumption costs in seniors with lower aerobic endurance, as well as higher deterioration in MSt (p < 0.01). Conclusion: elderly people with better FF and, specifically, better cardiorespiratory fitness present lower medication consumption costs and a more positive MSt