Changes in Daily Occupations Patterns, Optimism, and Positive Affect During COVID-19 Lockdown.
Orit Segev-Jacubovski
PMID 36987704WHAT IT FOUND
During a two-week lockdown, people spent more time on recreation, rest, and sleep than before.
Women saw a larger increase in non-work activities than men. A small link was found between feeling good and doing recreational activities, but optimism did not correlate with daily occupation patterns.
Key findings
01Participants spent significantly more time on occupations other than work during the lockdown compared to before.
02Women experienced a larger increase in time spent on non-work occupations during the lockdown than men did.
03A small but significant correlation existed between positive affect and time spent on recreation during the lockdown.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample recruited via social media, which may exclude people with lower digital access or different socioeconomic backgrounds. The sample was heavily skewed towards women (396 vs. 85 men), limiting generalizability to men. Data was collected retrospectively, relying on participants' memory of a 'typical' pre-lockdown day, which is subject to recall bias. The Occupational Questionnaire used here only classified the dominant occupation per hour and excluded night hours, potentially missing nuances in activity patterns. The study did not control for other concurrent stressors or changes in living conditions beyond the lockdown itself.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the small correlation between positive affect and recreation as proof that increasing recreational time will improve mood. The study is cross-sectional and retrospective, so it cannot establish causality; people who feel better may simply engage in more recreation, or a third factor may influence both.