The linkage between patterns of daily occupations and occupational balance: Applications within occupational science and occupational therapy practice
Sammanfattning
Patterns of daily occupations (PDO) and occupational balance (OB) are recurring phenomena in
the literature. Both are related with health and well-being, which makes them central in occupational
therapy practice and occupational science. The aim was to review how PDO and OB are
described in the literature, to propose a view of how the two constructs may be linked, and elaborate
on how such a view may benefit occupational science and occupational therapy. The literature
was analysed by latent and manifest content analysis and comparative analysis. The findings
were summarized in a model, framing PDO as the more objective and OB as the more subjective
result from an interaction between personal preferences and environmental influences. The proposed
model does not assume a cause–effect relationship between the targeted constructs, rather
a mutual influence and a joint reaction to influencing factors. Indicators of PDO and OB were identified,
as well as tools for assessing PDO and OB. The authors propose that discerning PDO and OB
as separate but interacting phenomena may be useful in developing a theoretical discourse in
occupational science and enhancing occupational therapy practice. Although the scope of this
study was limited, the proposed view may hopefully inspire further scrutiny of constructs.