TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis
AU - To-Miles, Flora
AU - Backman, Catherine L.
AU - Forwell, Susan
AU - Puterman, Eli
AU - Håkansson, Carita
AU - Wagman, Petra
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Health
KW - Occupational balance
KW - Occupational disruption
KW - Occupational science
KW - Personal projects
U2 - 10.1080/14427591.2022.2057573
DO - 10.1080/14427591.2022.2057573
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130018545
SN - 1442-7591
VL - 29
SP - 368
EP - 385
JO - Journal of Occupational Science
JF - Journal of Occupational Science
IS - 3
ER -