Do occupational therapists practice what they preach?

Dy, Anna L. and Lim, Eric and Olsen, Ryan and Villanueva, Michelle (2018) Do occupational therapists practice what they preach? Masters thesis, Stanbridge University.

Text MSOT006.03.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (828kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Previous studies reveal that healthcare professionals do not practice health-promoting behaviors in their personal lives. Researchers examined occupational therapy (OT) practitioners’ health behaviors to determine whether they maintain their wellness within seven dimensions: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and environmental. To investigate the wellness behaviors of OT practitioners, the researchers created a questionnaire pertaining to the seven dimensions of wellness. Surveys were distributed to OT practitioners worldwide through various professional organizations, social media platforms, and word-of-mouth. 473 out of the 570 total responses were considered complete and were analyzed for this research. OT practitioners did well in physical, social, spiritual, and intellectual aspects with greater than 50% of the participants positively incorporating these healthy behaviors. OT practitioners should invest specifically in the physical, occupational, and environmental dimensions because these are the dimensions that they needed to improve upon. For the physical dimension, more than half of OT practitioners lacked participation in exercise. Within the occupational dimension, OTs did well on spending time with family and maintaining personal space, but a third of respondents lacked in participating in hobbies and setting financial goals. For the environmental dimension, about half of participants worked overtime and took an inadequate number of breaks. OTs showed strength in collaboration with peers and maintaining stressful work environments. While OTs can improve, it is unclear if further progress within the emotional dimension is necessary as individuals may have different coping mechanisms. This study shows OT practitioners’ strengths and weaknesses and sets the groundwork for further research regarding the behavior and wellness among OTs.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Additional Information:	Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree.
Subjects:	R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Depositing User:	Fred Poling
Date Deposited:	13 Mar 2019 16:16
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2022 22:06
URI:	http://repository.stanbridge.edu/id/eprint/11

Actions (login required)

View Item