Purpose: Research shows that caregivers raising children with disabilities (CoDs) are at a higher risk of decreased health and wellbeing (Bourke-Taylor et al., 2022). Limited research exists to guide OTP intervention to promote caregiver well-being. This mixed methods study aimed to gather information on caregiver experiences regarding facilitators and barriers for occupations and wellness while raising a child with a disability between the ages of 3-21. Design: The mixed-methods design utilized surveys and a semi-structured interviews to gather data from 27 primary caregivers of a CoD aged 3-21 in the United States. Participants also needed to have access to the internet, be proficient in English, and were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling from social media and research team outreach. Methods: Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to gather information regarding caregiver health, wellness, and occupational engagement. Surveys completed on Qualtrics included measurement tools such as the Parent Effort Scale, Health Promoting Activities Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Well-Being Scale. Interviews were conducted via Zoom with audio transcription. Data analysis used SPSS and qualitative coding. Results: Identifiable facilitators and barriers significantly correlated to caregiver health and wellness and the unique challenges of raising a CoD. Caregivers reported a desire for programs to engage in health and wellness promoting activities and occupations. Conclusion: Findings identified challenges that caregivers of CoD face and highlight the role of occupational therapy in supporting their needs. Findings drove the development of the program “PromOTing a Healthier You” to address the needs of caregivers from an occupational perspective. Impact Statement: This study's findings, offer impactful, concrete insights for OTP development of health promotion interventions for this population. / Temple University. College of Public Health / Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/10561 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Andreou, Spyridoula |
| Contributors | Lynch, Amy K. |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 160 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10523, Theses and Dissertations |
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