Petra Wagman

Occupational balance as used in occupational therapy: A concept analysis

Abstract Occupational balance is a frequently used concept in occupational therapy, but it is complex and differences in content exist. Further knowledge would be valuable for scholars, practitioners, and measurement development. Concept analysis is a way to clarify concepts. The present concept analysis used Walker and Avants procedure for analysing the concept of occupational balance, with 43 articles included in the analysis. The results showed that occupational balance can be defined as the individuals perception of having the right amount of occupations and the right variation between occupations. Three perspectives of occupational balance were identified: in relation to occupational areas, in relation to occupations with different characteristics, and in relation to time use. The knowledge gained may guide the use of the concept, and some suggestions are made for its use and for further research.

Perceptions of life balance among a working population in Sweden.

A life in balance is commonly related to health and well-being. However, our knowledge regarding the perceptions of life balance among the general population is limited. Our aim was to explore the perception of life balance among working people without recent long-term sick leave. Individual interviews were conducted with 7 men and 12 women and analyzed according to grounded theory, aiming at achieving a description. The results showed that life balance includes four interrelated dimensions: activity balance, balance in body and mind, balance in relation to others, and time balance. Life balance was regarded by the participants as health related, promoted by a sense of security, and affected by context and individual strategies. Life balance was also seen as being individually defined and dynamic. The results indicate that the perceptions of life balance might be quite general because they show similarities with previous research on different populations.

What is considered important for life balance?: Similarities and differences among some working adults

Abstract Life balance seems subjective, health related, and multidimensional. However, the concept is complex. Exploring what people themselves consider more or less important for their life balance and whether this differs between people would develop new knowledge. Q methodology was chosen for the present study, in which 32 working men and women without recent long-term sick leave participated. They sorted 42 statements regarding life balance according to their importance for each participants life balance. The analysis resulted in four different viewpoints concerning life balance. All four viewpoints considered good relationships with those closest to them, as well as knowing that these people were doing well, as important. Each viewpoint also showed a unique orientation towards what was considered important for life balance: occupational balance (viewpoint 1), self-actualization (viewpoint 2), self-awareness (viewpoint 3), and reciprocal relationships (viewpoint 4). The results. showed support for life balance as being a subjective, multidimensional, and health-related phenomenon. The results demonstrated the importance of relationships for life balance and heterogeneity in what people considered important for their own life balance.

Introducing the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ)

Abstract Objective: The concept of occupational balance is frequently used in occupational therapy but the fact that it has been defined and measured differently is a limitation. This article introduces the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ), which focuses on satisfaction with the amount and variation of occupations. It consists of 13 items measured on six-step ordinal scales. It has shown good content validity in a sample of 21 occupational therapists but other psychometric properties have not been investigated. The aim was to investigate the OBQ regarding internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and floor/ceiling effects. Methods: The OBQ was administered twice to a sample selected through convenience sampling. Internal consistency was investigated by Cronbachs alpha and test–retest reliability analysed with Spearmans Rho correlation for the total score and weighted kappa on each item. Potential floor/ceiling effects were explored by checking for the percentage of participants who scored lowest and highest. Results: The results demonstrated that the OBQ has good internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha 0.936) and sufficient test–retest reliability (Spearmans Rho for the total score was 0.926) and, thus, seems stable over time. No floor or ceiling effect was detected. Conclusions: The OBQ therefore showed promising reliability, although further instrument development studies to examine its construct validity are required.

Exploring occupational balance in adults in Sweden

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between occupational balance (measured by the occupational balance questionnaire [OBQ]) and self-rated health and life satisfaction. A secondary aim was to explore differences in occupational balance among adults in Sweden. Methods: The 153 participants (63% women), recruited using convenience sampling, answered a questionnaire comprising demographic questions, the OBQ, one item about self-rated health, and one about life satisfaction. The OBQ was analysed for correlation with subjective health and life satisfaction. The OBQ and its individual items were also analysed for correlations with age and for differences between men and women and participants living with children younger than 18 years versus not. Results: The OBQ was significantly positively correlated to self-rated health and life satisfaction, supporting the relationship between occupational balance and health. No significant correlation between age and the total OBQ was identified but some differences in occupational balance, related to whether the participant was living with or without children at home, were revealed. Conclusions: The results should be interpreted with caution due to the nature of the sample and data but they can serve as a point of departure for further studies and hypotheses regarding occupational balance in different populations.

How to contribute occupationally to ecological sustainability: A literature review

Abstract Objective: Climate change is of great concern today, and is an important health issue. The changes are related to human occupations and, therefore, an occupational perspective can make important contributions to ecological sustainability. The aim of this scoping literature review was to explore and describe what has recently been written about how occupational therapy/therapists/science can contribute to ecological sustainability and the prevention of more severe climate change. Methods: Publications were used as data. Searches were conducted in databases, journals, reference lists, and citations. Fourteen items, with content related to the contribution of occupational therapy/therapists/science to climate change and ecological sustainability; written in English; having an occupational therapist among the authors; and published between 2008 and 2013; were included. Results: The results revealed four different ways that occupational therapists/scientists can contribute: by adapting to prevent climate change and to existing changes; by cooperating with others; by exploring peoples occupational choices and the relationship between occupation and ecology; and by warning of the consequences of the changes. Conclusion: These ways of contributing can be used as a point of departure for further research on this important topic.

Hannah Arendt’s vita activa: A valuable contribution to occupational science

ABSTRACT Occupational science is undergoing dynamic development and claims have been articulated that human occupation must be understood from multiple ontological standpoints. Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) is known for her work The Human Condition in which she explored human occupation from a philosophical and political standpoint. She distinguished the modalities labor, work and action, and labelled them vita activa. The aim of this paper is to present Arendt and her vita activa, in order to provide examples of its relevance for occupational science, showing how vita activa can assist occupational scientists to take a deeper perspective on human occupation. According to Arendt, human occupation is always conditioned. The condition for labor is necessity, which reflects human biological needs and represents the basics of life. The condition for work is utility, as something persistent and durable is produced. Action is the activity that takes place between people without the intermediary of things. Similar to occupational science, vita activa is concerned with human doing but their origins differ. Arendt also emphasized the public sphere as an arena for human occupation, a viewpoint that is shared with recent occupational science literature. The need to expand the scope of occupational science to encompass all aspects of human occupations, including the deleterious, has been expressed and vita activa can contribute to broadening this perspective. Examples of the need for sustainability in working life are also presented in this paper.

Occupational Balance: A Scoping Review of Current Research and Identified Knowledge Gaps

This article reports a comprehensive review of the research conducted regarding occupational balance. A scoping study method was used to explore and describe current research about occupational balance and to identify research gaps. Twenty-two articles published between 2009 and 2014 met the inclusion criteria. The articles reported studies conducted in eight countries on four continents, but the majority were conducted in Europe and North America. The articles contributed to knowledge about the concept itself, its importance, levels of occupational balance, and the relationship between occupational balance and health and well-being. They also described what is important for occupational balance or how to enhance/create/recreate it and differences between people. Several research gaps were identified which include the need for studies about perceptions of occupational balance among people beyond western societies. Furthermore, systematic research is warranted with regards to levels of occupational balance, and how to enhance it.

Changes in division of labour and tasks within public dentistry: relationship to employees work demands, health and work ability.

Abstract Objective: By 2023, fewer dentists are expected in Sweden, at the same time as the demand for dental care is expected to increase. Older people, in particular, are expected to require more dental health than previous generations. To meet this demand, the public sector dentistry in Sweden is moving towards changes in division of labour among dental professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses. However, the impact of this reallocation on the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of employees is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare workplaces with an equal or larger proportion of dental hygienists than dentists (HDH) with workplaces with a larger proportion of dentists than dental hygienists (HD) on the physical and psychosocial work load, musculoskeletal and psychosomatic disorders and sickness presence. Material: A total of 298 persons employed in the Public Dental Service in a Swedish County Council participated in this study. Conclusion: The medium large clinics HDH reported 85% of employee’s with considerably more high psychosocial demands compared to employees in medium HD (53%) and large HD (57%). Employees in medium large clinics HDH also reported sleep problems due to work (25%) compared with employees in medium large clinics HD (6%), large clinics HD (11%) and small clinics HDH (3%). Clinic size does not seem to influence the outcome of the HD and HD clinics to any great extent. Of all employees, about 94–100% reported high precision demands and 78–91% poor work postures.

Organisational factors and occupational balance in working parents in Sweden

Background: Parents with small children constitute a vulnerable group as they have an increased risk of sick leave due to stress-related disorders compared to adults without children. It has been shown that mothers and fathers to small children together spend more time in paid work than any other group, which could create negative stress and an experience of low occupational balance. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine associations between organisational factors and occupational balance among parents with small children in Sweden. Methods: Data were collected by a survey including questions about occupational balance, organisational factors and age, sex, employment rate, work position, monthly household income, number of children at home, separation/divorce last five years and overtime. The total number of parents included in this study was 718 (490 mothers and 228 fathers). Logistic regression models were applied to examine the odds ratios for occupational balance in relation to organisational factors. Results: Parents who experienced positive attitudes towards parenthood and parental leave among colleagues and managers were more likely to experience high occupational balance than parents who experienced negative or neutral attitudes. Having a clear structure for handover when absent from work was also strongly associated with high occupational balance. Conclusions : The result of the present study indicates that some organisational factors could be important for the occupational balance of parents with small children.