Participation in health promoting occupations among mothers of children aged 3-8 years with and without difficulties in sensory processing.
Maya Baruch Doskalovich, Aviva Yochman, Jennifer R Budman
PMID 39379680WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of children with sensory modulation difficulties reported feeling less competent and participating less frequently in health-promoting activities than mothers of typically developing children.
These lower scores were associated with reduced quality of life across all domains.
Key findings
01Mothers of children with sensory modulation difficulties had significantly lower ratings of competence and satisfaction with frequency of participation in daily activities compared to the control group.
02The study group participated less frequently in health-promoting activities overall, with a medium effect size difference compared to mothers of typically developing children.
03Feelings of competence and frequency of participation were significantly correlated with quality of life scores in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains for all mothers in the sample.
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 convenience sampling, which may limit how well the results apply to the general population. The sample size was relatively small (70 participants). The EDLQ measure had moderate-low internal reliability for some occupational dimensions, suggesting caution in interpreting specific sub-scores. The study relied on self-report questionnaires, which can be influenced by the mother's current emotional state. The study excluded children with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses, so results may not apply to mothers of children with complex needs.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that these findings prove the child's sensory difficulties caused the mother's reduced quality of life. The study is cross-sectional and correlational, so it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship.