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Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis

To-Miles, Flora ; Backman, Catherine L. ; Forwell, Susan ; Puterman, Eli ; Håkansson, Carita LU orcid and Wagman, Petra (2022) In Journal of Occupational Science 29(3). p.368-385
Abstract

To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s occupational changes, we conducted a before-and-after study during the first wave of COVID-19 on occupations and well-being of adults with and without inflammatory arthritis (IA). We invited participants from a prior study to repeat selected measures to assess the impact of pandemic... (More)

To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s occupational changes, we conducted a before-and-after study during the first wave of COVID-19 on occupations and well-being of adults with and without inflammatory arthritis (IA). We invited participants from a prior study to repeat selected measures to assess the impact of pandemic restrictions. Occupations, occupational balance, stress, life satisfaction, and physical and mental health were measured in participants during pre-pandemic (April 2019-March 12, 2020; Time 1) and phase one pandemic restrictions (March 16-May 19, 2020, Time 2). Of 143 adults from the pre-pandemic study, 71 agreed to participate in a Time 2 online survey. Six categories of occupation were identified at Time 1, using Personal Projects Analysis (a tool to explore and measure occupation). At Time 2, there was less variety in health-related occupations, along with a decrease in community-oriented occupations and an increase in occupations around the home. Occupations were characterized as having greater time adequacy at Time 2 than Time 1. Occupational balance and stress scores were higher at Time 2 in both groups, and mental health scores lower at Time 2 only in the healthy comparison group. These pre/post and between-group comparisons contribute to nuanced understandings of the impact of chronic illness and short-term societal disruptions on occupations and well-being.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Health, Occupational balance, Occupational disruption, Occupational science, Personal projects
in
Journal of Occupational Science
volume
29
issue
3
pages
18 pages
publisher
School of Occupational Therapy
external identifiers
  • scopus:85130018545
ISSN
1442-7591
DOI
10.1080/14427591.2022.2057573
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
aebab6c6-976a-432a-82f7-cd83e48579d8
date added to LUP
2022-08-25 11:38:42
date last changed
2022-08-25 11:38:42
@article{aebab6c6-976a-432a-82f7-cd83e48579d8,
  abstract     = {{<p>To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s occupational changes, we conducted a before-and-after study during the first wave of COVID-19 on occupations and well-being of adults with and without inflammatory arthritis (IA). We invited participants from a prior study to repeat selected measures to assess the impact of pandemic restrictions. Occupations, occupational balance, stress, life satisfaction, and physical and mental health were measured in participants during pre-pandemic (April 2019-March 12, 2020; Time 1) and phase one pandemic restrictions (March 16-May 19, 2020, Time 2). Of 143 adults from the pre-pandemic study, 71 agreed to participate in a Time 2 online survey. Six categories of occupation were identified at Time 1, using Personal Projects Analysis (a tool to explore and measure occupation). At Time 2, there was less variety in health-related occupations, along with a decrease in community-oriented occupations and an increase in occupations around the home. Occupations were characterized as having greater time adequacy at Time 2 than Time 1. Occupational balance and stress scores were higher at Time 2 in both groups, and mental health scores lower at Time 2 only in the healthy comparison group. These pre/post and between-group comparisons contribute to nuanced understandings of the impact of chronic illness and short-term societal disruptions on occupations and well-being.</p>}},
  author       = {{To-Miles, Flora and Backman, Catherine L. and Forwell, Susan and Puterman, Eli and Håkansson, Carita and Wagman, Petra}},
  issn         = {{1442-7591}},
  keywords     = {{Health; Occupational balance; Occupational disruption; Occupational science; Personal projects}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{368--385}},
  publisher    = {{School of Occupational Therapy}},
  series       = {{Journal of Occupational Science}},
  title        = {{Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2022.2057573}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14427591.2022.2057573}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}