Occupational Risks in Occupational Therapy Service Learning: A Single-Site "Fear Factor" Study in South Africa.

The study was done at one training institute in one South African province, so it may not reflect other sites or countries. Only 17 students volunteered, and all were female, so the findings may not represent other students. The findings are students' perceptions and experiences, not measured infection rates, injuries, or patient outcomes. Four authors were final-year students from the same cohort being studied, which may have shaped what participants said, despite audit trail, peer debriefing, triangulation, and member checking. Focus groups with a maximum of six participants may not capture every student's view.

Do not read this as evidence that occupational therapy placements are unsafe or that infection control reduces patient harm. It reports the perceptions of 17 female students at one site, and it does not measure infections, injuries, or clinical outcomes.