Occupational Therapy International最新文献

Introduction: Occupational therapy (OT) educational programs are aimed at enrolling a diverse student population that is likely to succeed in the academic and fieldwork components of the program. Comprehending the array of factors that influence students' learning and academic and fieldwork success is important for university educators. This study investigated the existing literature on predictors of academic and fieldwork performance in OT students.

Methods: The search process used in this review included screening, eligibility, and study quality. We searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for literature published in the past 10 years (1 January 2012 to 30 March 2022). As a comprehensive search, the following keywords were used for abstract, title, and keywords sections: occupational therapy student, predictors, fieldwork, academic, academic success, academic performance, fieldwork success, and fieldwork performance. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument was used to assess the quality of studies.

Results: The systematic review retrieved 14 articles that met inclusion criteria. Most were cross-sectional studies, followed by cohort, retrospective analysis of secondary data, and exploratory studies. Four articles focused on academic success, eight focused on fieldwork success, and two explored both aspects. Promising predictors of academic performance included the admission grade point average and the student's approach to studying. Predictors of fieldwork performance included a graduate record examination score, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships.

Conclusion: This systematic review explores predictors of academic and fieldwork success in OT students, which provide opportunities to identify early the learning difficulties of students and assist educators to target modifiable predictors so they can provide high-quality education.

Background: Research has shown that pressure in the vaginal birth process aids the infant's neurophysiological adaption to extrauterine life, including their ability to regulate their responses to diverse sensory stimuli. As pressure is absent in elective caesarean section births, we hypothesised that these children may be at higher risk for developing sensory hyperreactivity (SHR), a sensory modulation difficulty which negatively impacts on the child's engagement in their occupations. This paper reports on a study which investigated associations between birth method and SHR.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 91 children aged three and four years from various language, cultural, and socioeconomic groups were recruited and categorised based on birth method (caesarean section or vaginal birth). Caregivers of each child completed the Short Sensory Profile-2 and a demographic questionnaire. The prevalence of SHR between the birth method groups was compared.

Results: The prevalence of SHR was greater in the vaginal birth group (29%) than the caesarean section group (9%). Mothers in the vaginal birth group were younger (p ≤ 0.001), of lower-income level (p = 0.003), and more likely to be single (p = 0.037). During data collection with the vaginal birth group, comprehensibility of certain items in the Short Sensory Profile-2 proved challenging for many caregivers.

Conclusion: The statistically significant higher prevalence of SHR in the vaginal birth group supported a null hypothesis. However, the results are questioned due to the challenges related to data collection. Given this, the study supports the need for further investigation of how sociocultural and socioeconomic factors influence the assessment of SHR in the South African context.

Background: Contextual relevance is an important consideration for evidence-based practice, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the nature of practice may differ from high-income countries. Resources and access to rehabilitation are constrained, and service-users face a range of intersecting challenges to activity and participation.

Aim: To evaluate the body of evidence for the effectiveness of occupational therapy in Africa, and to determine if systematic reviews with meta-analysis and/or meta-synthesis are feasible. Methods and Analysis. We conducted a systematic scoping review of published and grey literature by following PRISMA-ScR guidelines across 13 databases and through personal contact with occupational therapists across Africa. Covidence software was used to manage a blind review process by at least three reviewers per included article. The McMaster Quantitative Review Form, NHMRC levels of evidence, the Cochrane PROGRESS-Plus health equity criteria, and the TIDieR checklist informed data extraction using Microsoft Forms.

Results: The search yielded 4199 articles, of which 45 were included. Evidence in six fields of practice included paediatrics, mental health, physical rehabilitation, hand therapy, work practice, and community development, although the evidence was largely limited to South Africa (93% studies). Levels of evidence varied but included 13 RCTs. In all, 1957 participants were included, ranging in age from 25 days to 99 years, with a wide range of health conditions. Most studies reported a positive outcome for occupational therapy.

Conclusion: Findings suggest a moderate body of evidence to support occupational therapy in Africa. Systematic review with meta-analysis, assessment of risk of bias, and in-depth analysis of specific areas of practice are now required. All effectiveness studies in occupational therapy should include measures of occupational performance or participation, minimum reporting standard checklists should be used more consistently, and effect sizes should be consistently calculated and reported in effectiveness research.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of robot-assisted therapy (RAT) combined with conventional therapy (CT) compared to CT alone in accelerating upper extremity (UE) recovery poststroke. Data Sources. We searched five databases: Ovid, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus Study Selection. Studies were selected for this review using the following inclusion criteria: randomized controlled trials of adults, RAT combined with CT compared to CT, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) as an outcome measure. Studies focused on children with neurological impairments, and studies that used RAT to facilitate lower extremity recovery and/or improve gait were excluded. Data Extraction. The initial search yielded 3,019 citations of articles published between January 2011 and May 2021. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Randomization, allocation sequence concealment, blinding, and other biases were assessed. Data Synthesis. Current evidence suggests that the use of RAT along with CT may accelerate upper extremity recovery, measured by FMA, in the beginning of rehabilitation. However, the progress fades over time. More empirical research is needed to validate this observation. Also, the findings related to cost-benefit analyses of RAT are inconclusive.

Conclusions: It is unclear whether RAT accelerates UE recovery poststroke when used in conjunction with conventional therapy. Given the capital and maintenance costs involved in developing and delivering RAT, more controlled studies examining the effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of RAT are needed before it can be used widely. This trial is registered with CRD42021270824.

In South Africa, traumatic SCI cases are disproportionately high in comparison to other countries. Low retention and maintenance of work for persons with SCIs are further exasperated by structural barriers and societal stigma. Persons with SCIs have the ability to contribute to the labour market, and doing so could lead to the improvement of their quality of life and socioeconomic status. Addressing engagement in work as a meaningful occupation for persons with SCIs is essential to mitigate occupational risk factor and uphold occupational justice. Currently, there is a paucity of literature on remote work practices for persons with SCIs. This study seeks to add to this body of knowledge to increase occupational therapists' awareness of the possibility of remote work to facilitate the inclusion of persons with SCIs in the open labour market. This phenomenological study explored the facilitators and barriers of engaging in remote work in the open labour market for paid employment, as experienced by persons with SCI within the Gauteng metropole, South Africa. Data was collected via semistructured interviews from four participants and analysed thematically. Four themes were generated from the data: (1) intrinsic facilitators of remote work, (2) extrinsic facilitators of remote work, (3) intrinsic barriers to remote work, and (4) extrinsic barriers to remote work. Remote work can be utilised to include persons with SCIs in their chosen occupation of work and is a holistic and client-centred approach. Remote work should not be seen as the sole method of inclusion but can also be used in conjunction with traditional office work to accommodate persons with SCIs in the workplace.