Theresa Marie Smith

Participation in the risk‐taking occupation of skateboarding

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to describe the values, behaviors, and beliefs of skateboarders in order to understand the meaning and identity derived from the occupation as well as cultural influences on attitudes toward injury. In‐depth interviews were conducted with seven active skateboarders. Analysis of the data led to the development of a chronology of participation in the risk‐taking occupation of skateboarding. Results of this study illustrate that achieving ones best and the core value of freedom in the skateboarding subculture outweigh the risk of injury inherent to participation in the occupation. Skateboarders accept injury as an attribute of the occupation they practice and reinforce this acceptance on a social level.

Habits, routines, and roles of graduate students: effects of hurricane ike.

ABSTRACT Disasters such as a major hurricane are likely to disrupt individuals’ habits, routines, and roles. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore the extent to which masters students’ habits, routines, and role participation were affected by Hurricane Ike during the transition from academic work to Level II Fieldwork placement. Three masters level occupational therapy students who experienced the hurricane while attending school were recruited for the study and were administered a qualitative interview and the Role Checklist. On the basis of the interview, emerging themes with subthemes were Temporal Aspects—preparation, storm, immediate poststorm, and recovery/rebuilding; Effects of Storm on Occupational Performance—loss of personal space, lack of leisure participation, changes in habits, and loss of routines; and Personal Outcomes—areas of transformation and changes in roles. As noted by the Role Checklist, some new roles were assumed by the participants following the storm, while some prehurricane roles were not resumed posthurricane. Implications for occupational therapy for individuals affected by disasters are highlighted including the importance of role participation and impact upon occupational performance.

Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairments in Cancer Survivors

ABSTRACT Changes in cognitive functioning are a frequent complaint of persons diagnosed and treated for cancer. The purposes of this study were to explore the feasibility of the use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for identifying mild cognitive impairment in persons who are cancer survivors as well as begin to identify the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in cancer survivors as identified by the MoCA. Thirty-eight cancer survivors participated in this study, and 14 scored below the cutoff score of 26 on the MoCA, which indicated mild cognitive impairment. These results indicate assessment of cognitive changes in cancer patients and survivors should be part of the occupational therapy evaluation and that the MoCA is a feasible tool for such use.

Effec ts of Cognitive Status on Life Participation of Cancer Survivors

The purposes of this study were to identify the cognitive status of cancer survivors, determine the effect of cognitive status on function and participation in daily activities, and explore how cancer survivors perceive changes in their cognition. The study used a quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional design. The participants included 35 cancer survivors from two different sites. Instruments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Reintegration to Normal Index-Postal Version (RNLI-P) in the measurement of cognitive impairment and functional performance respectively. Data were also collected with a supplemental questionnaire to explore participants’ perspectives on their cognitive difficulties and current function. The participant scores on the MoCA indicated cognitive impairment (μ= 25) and their scores on the RNLI-P demonstrated subpar reintegration (μ=9.64). Twenty-one participants answered the supplemental questionnaire. In content analysis of questionnaire responses, 17/21 participants reported some level of cognitive change related to cancer and cancer treatment. Data from an open-ended question were organized into four categories: decreased participation, more selective in activities, balance in activities, and cognitive changes. Study results indicate a large percentage of cancer survivors demonstrate mild cognitive impairment as well as changes in participation in instrumental activities of daily living.

Refinement of the Low Vision Independence Measure: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to improve clinical utility of the Low Vision Independence Measure (LVIM) and strengthen its content validity. Methods: A two-part qualitative emergent design was used. Low vision therapists’ opinions were collected first with a questionnaire and then with a focus group. Results: Findings indicated that clinical utility of the LVIM could be improved by adding comment sections and moving some of its items or subsections. The content validity of the LVIM could be strengthened through the additions of new items to some subsections, new subsections, and item lists, as well as rewording of some items. Therapists acknowledged current LVIM strengths of client-centeredness, ability to identify problem areas upon which to formulate a plan of care, versatility for use in different treatment settings, efficient administration, and cultural sensitivity. Conclusions: Further research is needed on the refined LVIM to establish its psychometric properties.