Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Latina Adolescent Outreach Project, Susan C. Scwartz, Claudia Guerra, Julianna Deardorff, Janice Barlow

Susan C. Schwartz

• To culturally adapt and translate into Spanish three components of the Breast Cancer and Environment – Peer Education Tool Kit (2006) for Marin County Latina adolescents: Top Twelve Messages, Teen Brochure, and Personal Action Plan

• To disseminate the adapted, translated materials to high school health educators and community organizations

Adolescent Breast Cancer Prevention, Risk Reduction And Education Project, Susan C. Schwartz, Janice Barlow

Susan C. Schwartz

The Adolescent Breast Cancer Prevention, Risk Reduction and Education Project was developed in 2003 in recognition of the growing scientific evidence that early life events play an important role in the development of breast cancer and the onset of puberty is thought to be a key seventy influencing subsequent breast cancer risk.

Breast Cancer And Environment Peer Education Tool Kit -- Community Action Panel, Susan C. Schwartz

Susan C. Schwartz

The Breast Cancer and Environment Peer Education Tool Kit culminates three years of dedicated effort by the Zero Breast Cancer leadership and staff, community partners and advisors, and peer education specialists in the San Francisco Bay Area. The teen breast cancer risk awareness curriculum tools that Zero Breast Cancer is making available to the broader community evolved from a formative community assessment to address the need for ageappropriate teen breast cancer outreach education in a community known for high breast cancer incidence.

The impetus to develop this program has been threefold: 1) to disseminate knowledge back to the community that …

In Adult Patients With Unilateral Stroke, Is Distributed Constraint-Induced Therapy Or Bilateral Arm Training More Effective In Improving Upper Extremity Motor And Functional Outcomes Compared With A Routine Approach?, Courtney Beyer, Christine Kim, Janice Li, Angelica Soltis, Kitsum Li

Kitsum Li

In Older Adult Hispanic Women With Osteoarthritis, Are Occupation-Based Intervention Activities Coupled With Enabling And Preparatory Activities More Effective Than Social Interaction In Improving Perceived Performance, Satisfaction, Participation, And Self-Efficacy In Activities Of Daily Living?, Jennifer Borcich, Erin Sheehy, Kitsum Li

Kitsum Li

Acute Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration On Lower Extremity Muscle Performance In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Kurt Jackson, Harold Merriman, Paul Vanderburgh, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler

Background and Purpose: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relatively new form of exercise training that may influence muscle performance. This study investigated the acute effects of high (26 Hz) and low (2 Hz) frequency WBV on isometric muscle torque of the quadriceps and hamstrings in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Participants and Method: Fifteen individuals (mean age = 54.6 years, SD = 9.6) with MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 0-6.5 (mean = 4.2, SD = 2.3) participated in this randomized cross-over study. Following baseline measures of isometric quadricep and hamstring torque, subjects were exposed to …

Assistive Technology Enhancement Of Written Expression For Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Laura Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Susan Harris

Laura Greiss Hess

This study involves the use of computer software to assess the use of assistive technology (AT) in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. We will present an update of the subjects in the study, including research issues, subject diagnoses and diagnostic trends as assessed through baseline and follow-up testing.

Assistive Technology Enhancement Of Written Expression For Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders [Poster], Laura Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Susan Harris

Laura Greiss Hess

The purpose of this project is to carry out an intensive training program in subjects with a broad range of neurodevelopmental disabilities to assess the efficacy of assistive technology (AT) intervention.

Ot, Slp, At & The Iep…Making Sense Of The Alphabet Soup, Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood

Laura Greiss Hess

A Systematic Review Of The Impact Of Powered Mobility Devices On Older Adults’ Activity Engagement, R Formiatti, L Moir, Janet Richmond, J Millsteed

Janet E Richmond PhD

Purpose: To systematically review the impact powered mobility devices have on engagement in independent occupations for adults with acquired mobility limitations. Method: Electronic search of CINAHL Plus, Medline, PsychInfo, OT Seeker, Joanna Briggs Institute, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database. Search terms included combinations of words to encompass all terms most likely used for powered mobility. Results: Eleven studies were eligible for inclusion. One study was a true experimental design; four studies were pre-experimental, and six were nonexperimental. Studies indicated positive improvements to occupational engagement and independence while environmental barriers were identified as negatively impacting occupation and increasing risk of injury or …

Body Mass Bias In Exercise Physiology, Paul Vanderburgh

Paul M. Vanderburgh

In certain physically demanding occupations, especially the military, body mass bias has substantive implications. Work physiologists have determined that despite body mass bias in the common military physical fitness tests, the larger service members were often better performers of the physically demanding occupational tasks (Bilzon et al., 2002; Lyons et al., 2005; Rayson et al., 2000). That is, they could carry more, more easily evacuate casualties, and better engage in heavy materiel handling. Yet, the smaller personnel were achieving better scores on the physical fitness tests, the results of which have significant promotion and advancement implications (Vanderburgh & Mahar , …

Student Research: Study Into Scooter Use, Overste, L Moir, Janet Richmond, J Millsteed

Janet E Richmond PhD

Motorised mobility scooters (“scooters”) enable people with mobility difficulties to engage in community participation; however scooter use has lead to many accidents resulting in injury or death to the user and bystanders. At present there are few assessments available to screen people for scooter use. Additionally, formal assessment is not required prior to commencement of scooter use. The aim of the research study was to identify the performance skills required for safe use of scooters in the community, and to identify if a difference exists in skills required for three-wheeled and four-wheeled models of scooters.

The Relationship Between A Teacher Check List And Standardised Tests For Visual Perception Skills: A South African Remedial Primary School Perspective, Janet Richmond, K Holland

Janet E Richmond PhD

Occupational therapy in remedial education settings has been questioned by the South African Government as they see occupational therapy as a costly service and thus has challenged occupational therapy clinicians’ approach to assessment. This study was undertaken to establish whether the results of standardised tests of visual perception skills, relate to teachers’ observations in respect of primary remedial school age children (six to eleven years) attending a short term remedial school because of low scholastic achievement despite having average or above intellectual ability. The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills – Revised, the Developmental Test of Visual Perception-2, the Jordan Left-Right …

An Exploration Of Early Childhood Education Students' Knowledge And Preparation To Facilitate Physical Activity For Preschoolers: A Cross-Sectional Study, Olivia Martyniuk, Patricia Tucker

Trish Tucker

Background Early childhood educators play an important role in influencing preschoolers’ physical activity levels. The current study sought to explore Early Childhood Education (ECE) students’ physical activity-related knowledge and educational experience during their formal training in Ontario.

Methods A total of 1,113 ECE students from 20 Ontario Colleges completed the study survey (online or on paper), which examined students’ physical activity course content; awareness of physical activity guidelines; understanding of health-related benefits of physical activity; self-efficacy to facilitate physical activity for preschoolers; self-reported physical activity levels; as well as physical activity-related resource needs. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were …

Visual Discrimination Of Letters In The Alphabet By Young Children: A Rasch Measurement Analysis, Janet Richmond, Russell Waugh

Janet E Richmond PhD

Data on 30 items for upper case letters and 36 items for lower case letters, where each item was scored in one of two categories (wrong scored zero and correct scored one), were Rasch analysed to create two linear scales . The student sample was N=324 pre-primary and primary students (aged 5 to 9 years) in Perth, Western Australia. Twelve of the initial 30 items of Visual Discrimination of Upper Case Letters were deleted due to item misfit statistics leaving 18 items and five of the original 36 items for Visual Discrimination of Lower Case Letters were deleted leaving 31 …

Struggling To Maintain Occupation While Dealing With Risk: The Experiences Of Older Adults With Low Vision, Debbie Rudman, Suzanne Huot, Lisa Klinger, Beverly Leipert, Marlee Spafford

Lisa Klinger

The primary aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the core aspects of living with low vision in later life among older adults (aged 70 years and older) who had not accessed rehabilitation services for low vision. Thirty-four older adults from urban and rural areas participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview and a telephone follow-up. Drawing on an occupational science perspective and using Giorgi and Giorgi’s (2003) method of analysis, the essence of the experience of living with low vision was identified as struggling to maintain valued and necessary occupations while dealing with risk. Additional themes included enhanced …

Exploring The Nexus Between Health Promotion And Occupational Therapy: Synergies And Similarities, Patricia Tucker, Leigh Vanderloo, Jennifer Irwin, Angela Mandich, Ann Bossers

Trish Tucker

The similarities between health promotion and occupational therapy have been recognized. Both are based on perspectives that share a goal of enabling individuals and populations to improve control over their health. Consequently, it is logical that the principles of health promotion complement the practice of occupational therapy. Purpose. This paper highlights the affinity between occupational therapy and health promotion, and discusses ways in which health promotion principles can be incorporated into occupational therapy practice. Key Issues. Some Canadian occupational therapists may be unaware of the current discourse in health promotion and, thus, may not be incorporating its principles into practice. …

Enhancing Client-Centeredness In Parkinson's Disease Care: Attending To The Psychosocial Implications Of Lived Experience, Jeffrey Holmes, Sara Lutz, Mike Ravenek, Debbie Rudman, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

Evidence-based practice requires that clinicians interpret the best research evidence in the context of their clinical experience, while at the same time considering client knowledge and experiences. Although clinicians are becoming increasingly skilled at the evaluation of research evidence, the evidence-based practice process often neglects client values and self-identified health issues. Ignoring these key aspects of client-centered practice may lead to interventions that fail to target the implications of a client’s disease that are important to occupational participation and quality of life (QOL). A focus on client-centeredness is particularly important in progressive neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, where there …

The Influence Of Parents And The Home Environment On Preschoolers' Physical Activity Behaviours: A Qualitative Investigation Of Childcare Providers' Perspectives, Patricia Tucker, Melissa Van Zandvoort, Shauna Burke, Jennifer Irwin

Trish Tucker

BACKGROUND: Physical activity offers numerous physiological and psychological benefits for young children; however, many preschool-aged children are not engaging in sufficient activity. The home environment, inclusive of parent role modeling, has been identified as influencing preschoolers' physical activity. This study sought to examine childcare providers' perspectives of the importance of parents and the home environment for supporting the physical activity behaviours of preschool-aged children (aged 2.5-5 years) attending childcare. METHODS: A heterogeneous sample of childcare providers (n = 84; response rate 39%) working at childcare facilities in London, Ontario participated. Thirteen semi-structured focus groups were conducted in London centres between …

Physical Activity Among Preschoolers During Indoor And Outdoor Childcare Play Periods, Leigh Vanderloo, Patricia Tucker, Andrew Johnson, Jeffrey Holmes

Trish Tucker

Preschoolers' (n = 31) physical activity (PA) levels during indoor and outdoor childcare hours were explored using accelerometers. Participants engaged in 0.54 min/h (SD = 0.59) of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and 14.42 min/h (SD = 6.78) of total PA (TPA) indoors compared with 5.03 min/h (SD = 4.92) of MVPA and 31.68 min/h (SD = 0.83) of TPA outdoors. Boys and girls engaged in significantly more TPA outdoors; however, only boys demonstrated a significant increase in MVPA outdoors.

Occupational Therapy In Criminal Justice, Jane Dressler

Jane Dressler

The Effects Of Word Length, Articulation, Oral-Motor Movement, And Lexicality On Gait: A Pilot Study, K. Davie, Janis Cardy, J. Holmes, M. Gagnon, A. Hyde, M. Jenkins, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

Previous research has suggested that articulatory demands are important predictors of the impact of dual-task interference on spatial-temporal parameters of gait. In this study, we evaluated the effects of word length, oral-motor movement, articulation, and lexicality, within a verbal task, on a continuous gait task. Fifteen healthy young women participated in a study in which two word lengths (monosyllabic and bisyllabic) were crossed with four levels of secondary task complexity (no dual-task, non-speech movement, spoken non-word, and spoken word). Spatial and temporal parameters of gait were measured using a 23' instrumented carpet. Results indicated a significant multivariate main effect for …

Dual-Task Interference: The Effects Of Verbal Cognitive Tasks On Upright Postural Stability In Parkinson's Disease, J. Holmes, M. Jenkins, Andrew Johnson, S. Adams, S. Spaulding

Andrew M. Johnson

Although dual-task interference has previously been demonstrated to have a significant effect on postural control among individuals with Parkinson's disease, the impact of speech complexity on postural control has not been demonstrated using quantitative biomechanical measures. The postural stability of twelve participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and twelve healthy age-matched controls was evaluated under three conditions: (1) without a secondary task, (2) performing a rote repetition task and (3) generating a monologue. Results suggested a significant effect of cognitive load on biomechanical parameters of postural stability. Although both groups increased their postural excursion, individuals with Parkinson's disease demonstrated significantly reduced …

Assistive Technology And The Iep, Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood

Laura Greiss Hess

Sensory Processing Correlates Of Occupational Performance In Children With Fragile X Syndrome: Preliminary Findings, Grace T. Baranek, Yuki H. Chin, Laura Greiss Hess, Jann G. Yankee, Deborah D. Hatton, Stephen R. Hooper

Laura Greiss Hess