International Standard Classification of Occupations survey report: Implications for the World Federation of Occupational Therapists

The relationship between levels of physical activity and participation in everyday life in stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Stroke survivors demonstrate decreased physical activity (PA) and take time to return to participation in everyday life, but the relationship between the two variables is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation and trajectory over time between levels of PA and participation in everyday life in stroke survivors.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Rehabilitation&Sport Medicine Source, and PEDro databases were searched from inception to January 2024. Cross-sectional and prospective studies evaluating both levels of PA and participation in stroke survivors were included. Two reviewers independently conducted the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Meta-analyses of pooled correlation coefficients were calculated when at least two studies reported a correlation coefficient between the same PA and participation outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 4962 studies identified, 49 were included in the systematic review. Studies were rated high (55%%) or fair (45%) quality. A wide range of monitoring methodologies for assessing PA and participation were found in the 23 prospective studies. Seven studies were included in the meta-analyses, showing a positive moderate correlation between PA time and participation in activities of daily living (n = 148; r = 0.52; P < 0.01; I2 = 81%) in participants <6 months post-stroke, and between PA time and the participation in all areas (n = 126; r = 0.44; P < 0.01; I2 = 0%) in participants ≥6 months post-stroke. Overall, while PA showed significant improvements over time, participation only showed a tendency.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the heterogeneity, consistent positive associations were found between PA time and participation levels in some areas. Establishing consensus is crucial to reduce heterogeneity and facilitate data pooling.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and socioeconomic determinants in an Iranian cohort study

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is widespread worldwide. On the other hand, social inequality and socioeconomic status (SES) can affect all aspects of health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between SES indicators and NAFLD.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study using data from the registration phase of the Hoveyzeh Cohort Study, which included 10,009 individuals aged 35-70 years from May 2016 to August 2018. Fatty liver disease was determined based on Fatty Liver Index (FLI). The crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated by logistic regression analysis to estimate associations between the fatty liver index and SES after controlling the potential confounders.

RESULTS

According to the FLI index, there were 2,006 people with fatty liver (28%) and 5,246 people without fatty liver (72%). Several 4496 people (62%) were women. The chi-square test showed significant relationships between the educational level and skill level (P < 0.001), the wealth index (P < 0.001), and Townsend Index (P < 0.001) with fatty liver index. In multivariable analysis, after adjustment for age, sex, physical activity, smoking, type of residence, calorie intake, dyslipidemia, skill level, and diabetes, the wealth index (p < 0.001) was positively associated with the fatty liver index. Besides, a reverse and significant association was seen between the Townsend index and the fatty liver index(p < 0.001). In contrast, no significant associations were seen between gender and educational level with the fatty liver index.

CONCLUSIONS

A more vulnerable SES is associated with NAFLD. Fatty liver index and socioeconomic indicators can be powerful monitoring tools to monitor health differences in diagnosing NAFLD.

Situational analysis for informing the global strengthening of the occupational therapy workforce

BACKGROUND

Occupational Therapists are needed for meeting the health, rehabilitation, and occupational needs of the population worldwide, but there is no strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce against a backdrop of an insufficient and inequitable supply worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a situational assessment of occupational therapy workforce development and research toward informing a global human resources strategy for the occupational therapy workforce strengthening.

METHOD

A multi-methods design incorporating Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis based on scoping review findings, workforce development frameworks, and expert feedback.

RESULTS

Strengths included identified workforce research trends, gaps, and findings. Weaknesses included a shortage of workforce research, lack of uniform and readily available workforce datasets, absence of workforce research programs, over-reliance on descriptive and non-experimental research, lack of research on workforce topics (e.g., diversity), and lack of labor market or economic analyses. Opportunities are the availability of guidance and tools for strengthening the health and rehabilitation workforce worldwide, and increased membership from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. Threats include the suboptimal funding of occupational therapy workforce research, the lack of occupational therapists data on international datasets and studies, suboptimal educational capacity in LMICs, lack of professional regulation and uniform workforce data collection in many contexts, and a perceived lower priority of this health workforce focused on health and wellbeing rather than medical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This SWOT analysis identifies strengths and opportunities to be seized and weaknesses and threats to be addressed by development of a strategy for the global strengthening of the occupational therapy workforce.

All Normal Occupations are Sunny and Joyful: Qualitative Analysis of Thai Ladyboys' Occupational Wellbeing

Background

As the modern social division of labour is becoming increasingly specified, various occupations have emerged. Ladyboy, as a special occupation, is receiving a surging amount of attention from society and academia. Ladyboy is an individual who is engaged in performing with female psychology but still retains male sexual characteristics, and this special characteristic has an impact on their occupational identity and occupational satisfaction.

Methods

This study investigated the current situation of ladyboys’ occupational wellbeing through interviews, and analyzed and coded the interview texts via Nvivo 11.0 guided by Grounded Theory.

Results

Through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, the study found that ladyboys’ occupational wellbeing was generally high, and they were still full of love and confidence in their occupation even in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Conclusion

Concurrently, the study also found that for the profession of ladyboy, there are still many areas for improvement in society, such as the lack of supporting facilities, absence of supportive and protective policies, and unemployment livelihood security, etc. Feasible measures were then proposed for these specific problems.