SATISFACTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION IN EVERDAY OCCUPATIONS MEASURED WITH THE OCCUPATIONAL GAPS QUESTIONNAIRE

Background: An inadequately researched assumption within occupational therapy is that a person is satisfied when they do what they want to do. This study aims to describe participation in everyday occupations and the relation... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
An inadequately researched assumption within occupational therapy is that a person is satisfied when they do what they want to do. This study aims to describe participation in everyday occupations and the relation to satisfaction, using the Occupational Gaps Questionnaire (OGQ). The OGQ measures restrictions in participation, or gaps, which are considered to be the discrepancy between what a person wants to do and actually does. Fewer gaps indicate a better outcome.
Method:
The OGQ was answered by 69 persons (mean age 67), five years after having a stroke. Relationships between the numbers of occupational gaps and the satisfaction levels per activity in the OGQ were analyzed.
Results:
Seventy percent (n = 48) of the persons had participation restrictions. Participants were satisfied or very satisfied when participating in occupations they wanted to do. There were significant differences in the satisfaction level between participating in an occupation (no gap) compared to not participating in a wanted occupation (a gap), in all 30 items in the OGQ. Levels of satisfaction decreased somewhat when persons did not do an activity that they did not want to do (no gap).
Conclusion:
These findings support the basic assumption that individuals are satisfied when participating in the occupations in everyday life that they want to do.
Application to Practice:
Understanding the satisfaction an individual attributes to participation is necessary in client-centered interventions. The OGQ unites performance, desire and satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of the idiosyncratic combinations of these three concepts in understanding client outcomes.