Rawan AlHeresh

Which Features of the Environment Impact Community Participation of Older Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis:

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify features of the environment associated with community participation of older adults. Method: A systematic review of studies that examined associations between environment and community participation in older adults was conducted. Environmental features were extracted and grouped using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health’s environmental categories. Meta-analysis of environmental categories was conducted by calculating combined effect size (ES) estimates. Results: Significant, small to moderate, random ESs were found for six of seven environmental categories: neighborliness (ES = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.18, 0.87]), social support (ES = 0.38, 95% CI = [0.13, 0.62]), land-use diversity (ES = 0.29, 95% CI = [0.16, 0.42]), transportation (ES = 0.29, 95% CI = [0.15, 0.43]), civil protection (e.g., safety; ES = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.0, 0.54]), and street connectivity/walkability (ES = 0.20, 95% CI = [0.15, 0.26]). Discussion: Community initiatives that address specific features of the social environment and street-level environment may increase community participation of older adults.

Community-based rehabilitation in Jordan: challenges to achieving occupational justice.

Abstract Purpose: This paper presents theories of occupational and social justice and applies the theoretical tenets to a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. Method: The example of building a playground for children with disabilities, and other aspects of the social, political and cultural context in Jordan are described in relation to the theory and practice of CBR, occupational and social justice. Results: Key concepts are explained, analyzed and applied, namely occupational justice, social justice, occupational form and occupational deprivation (a strong determinant of occupational injustice), all of which were relevant in the refugee camp where children with disabilities were deprived of resources and chances to play. Conclusion: Grounding CBR in an occupational justice framework offers justification and inspiration for occupational therapy in similar settings deprived of resources and opportunities wherein both individuals and communities could benefit. Implications for Rehabilitation Occupational deprivation, such as that seen in refugee camps, is associated with poor mental health and physical frailty. CBR in refugee camps can lead to both occupational justice and social justice for persons with disabilities. Disability laws and legislation must be implemented, not just stated on paper, in order to address the rights of persons with disabilities and social justice.

Ergonomic intervention for employed persons with rheumatic conditions.

Prior articles in this series on employment and arthritis have documented the major impact arthritis and other rheumatic conditions have on employment. As expected, physically demanding job tasks, including hand use, are substantial risk factors for work limitation. Computer use has been increasing. People with arthritis may choose occupations involving extensive computer use to avoid occupations with other physical demands. But studies show many people with arthritis conditions have difficulty using computers.Ergonomic assessment and implementation helps relieve the physical and other demands of jobs. The Ergonomic Assessment Tool for Arthritis (EATA) is specifically for people with arthritis conditions. Since the EATA can be conducted off worksite, it is feasible to use with workers not wishing to disclose their condition to their employer. Available research supports the effectiveness of ergonomic intervention as a viable method to reduce work limitation for persons with arthritis. Some workers will need additional vocational intervention to remain employed long term. However, ergonomic intervention is a useful first step, as it promotes awareness of arthritis effects on work activities. Assisting workers with arthritis or other rheumatic conditions to use ergonomics to enhance their ability to work well should be an important aspect of managing these conditions.

The Work Activity and Participation Outcomes Framework: a new look at work disability outcomes through the lens of the ICF.

Work disability is common among people with chronic conditions. The terminology in the field is variable and often used interchangeably and there is a lack of comprehensive frameworks to describe work as an outcome. Varied operationalization of work disability makes it difficult to establish precise estimates of the impact of chronic musculoskeletal conditions on work. A new conceptual framework was developed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and was named ‘Work Activity and Participation Outcome (Work APO) Framework’ which clarified definitions in the field. Applying the framework to people at risk of work disability and evaluating their outcomes could advance the literature.

Risk factors for work disability associated with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions

In our first columnin this series on arthritis and em-ployment, we reviewed the evidence showing that thevarious forms of arthritis and other rheumatic condi-tions are associated with a substantial amount of workdisability.Whilemedicaltreatmentisofcoursethema-jor intervention for work disability, curative or evensubstantially effective treatment is often not availableleaving many people with arthritis continuing to expe-rience arthritis-related work limitations [1]. If factorsthat increase people’s risk for work disability – i.e.,work disability risk factors – can be identified and arepotentially modifiable, these factors would help guidethe development of interventions to enhance people’swork participation and performance.The purpose of this article is to review the litera-ture on risk factors for arthritis and other rheumaticcondition-related work disability. We reviewed stud-ies providing quantitative or qualitative data on riskfactors for any type of work disability outcome, e.g.,premature work cessation and productivity limitation.Productivity limitation includes absenteeism and pre-senteeism, the latter being reduced capacity to workwhile at work due to health.Risk factor studies have primarily been conductedusing samples of persons with a particular rheumatic

The role of the occupational therapist in Jordan: a survey of the members of the healthcare team exploring their knowledge about occupational therapy in rehabilitation hospitals

Purpose. Occupational therapy (OT) is a developing profession that has only been introduced to Jordanian hospitals 18 years ago. The main objective of this study was to explore the level of knowledge the healthcare team members in Jordanian rehabilitation hospitals have about OT. Method. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to different members in the healthcare team in three major hospitals in Jordan. One hundred fifty-three questionnaires were returned and used for analysis. Results. Collectively, the results revealed a fair knowledge level about OT among the healthcare team members in rehabilitation, who stated that the main responsibilities of this profession were rehabilitation for activities of daily living, hand therapy and increasing the quality of life for disabled people. Furthermore, the majority of the respondents agreed that OT is a vital profession that plays an important role in rehabilitation teams, and expressed their expectations of developing standards and regulations for this profession. Conclusion. Actions should be channelled towards educating members of the team about OT through university curriculum. It is critical that the Jordanian Ministry of Health establishes specific statements and regulations which clarify the role of the OT within different settings of the healthcare system.

Construct Validity and Scoring Methods of the World Health Organization: Health and Work Performance Questionnaire Among Workers With Arthritis and Rheumatological Conditions

Objective: To evaluate construct validity and scoring methods of the world health organization—health and work performance questionnaire (HPQ) for people with arthritis. Methods: Construct validity was examined through hypothesis testing using the recommended guidelines of the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN). Results: The HPQ using the absolute scoring method showed moderate construct validity as four of the seven hypotheses were met. The HPQ using the relative scoring method had weak construct validity as only one of the seven hypotheses were met. Conclusion: The absolute scoring method for the HPQ is superior in construct validity to the relative scoring method in assessing work performance among people with arthritis and related rheumatic conditions; however, more research is needed to further explore other psychometric properties of the HPQ.

Critical Appraisal of the Quality of Literature Evaluating Psychometric Properties of Arthritis Work Outcome Assessments: A Systematic Review

To systematically rate the evidence on the measurement properties of work functioning instruments for people with arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions.

Development of the Arabic Version of the Preschool Activity Card Sort (A-PACS).

AIM The purpose of this study is to describe the process of developing the Arabic Version of the Preschool Activity Card Sort (A-PACS) derived from the Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS), an internationally recognized tool, which uses parent interview, and photographs of pre-schoolers engaged in typical activities. BACKGROUND Measuring participation among preschool children in daily activities is an essential part of the evaluation process by occupational therapists, utilizing valid and culturally relevant measurement tools. Given the newness of the occupational therapy profession in the Arab world, a major obstacle is the dearth of measurement tools especially for pre-schoolers. METHODS Cultural adaptation of the PACS required a four phase process: collection of culturally appropriate activities using focus groups, translation, cognitive pilot testing and validation using two rounds of ranking (Delphi technique). Caregivers interviewed in all phases of the study included 115 participants. All were recruited from different geographical locations and socio-economic levels in Jordan, and were stratified by age and gender. RESULTS Ninety-five activities were generated in the final version of the A-PACS in which 23 were specific to the Arabic culture. The activities were categorized into self-care (17), community mobility (16), high demand leisure (11), low demand leisure (17), social interaction (15), domestic (8) and education (11). Based on the A-PACS, the most common five activities of Jordanian children were drinking, walking on stairs, eating a sandwich, gathering with family and kicking a ball. CONCLUSION A culturally adapted Arabic form of the PACS emerged from this investigation. This is the first step in developing a psychometrically sound assessment tool to evaluate participation of Arabic-speaking preschool children.