Role Participation: A Comparison across Age Groups in a Norwegian General Population Sample.
Tore Bonsaksen
PMID 29861699WHAT IT FOUND
Home maintainer was the most common current role in a Norwegian general population sample, and religious participant was the least common.
People aged 65 and over reported fewer current roles than younger age groups.
Key findings
01In the total sample, the most frequently endorsed current role was home maintainer (93.6%), and the least frequently endorsed current role was religious participant (7.1%).
02The oldest age group participated in fewer currently enacted roles than participants in all other age groups (all p < 0.001).
03Compared with the total sample, the oldest age group had a higher proportion of role patterns related to role loss and a smaller proportion related to continuous roles and expected role gains.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample, so it may not represent the Norwegian general population. The oldest age group had only 17 participants, and recruitment of that group was not fully completed. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show cause and effect. It used only one measure and only role participation, not role valuation, health, or quality of life. The study did not test occupational therapy intervention, so it cannot show that role assessment or role targeting improves outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the age differences as proof that aging causes role loss or that occupational therapy can restore roles. The study used a convenience sample and a cross-sectional design, and it did not test an intervention.