IS

OTA 102: OT in the Promotion of Health & Well-Being

Health Promotion

  • Definition (per World Health Organization – implicit in AOTA statement)
    • "Enable people to increase control over, and to improve, their health."
    • Core elements
    • Identify & realize personal/collective aspirations
    • Satisfy needs that support survival, growth, and self-actualization
    • Adapt, change, or cope with environmental demands
    • Philosophical stance: responsibility is shared by all sectors (education, transportation, housing, labor, etc.), not exclusively the health-care industry.
  • Occupational-therapy (OT) perspective
    • Congruent with OT’s belief that health is produced through meaningful engagement (occupation) rather than merely the absence of disease.
    • Therapists therefore address habits, roles, routines, and contextual barriers that influence participation.

Healthy People 2030 – U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)

  • Vision: “A society in which all people achieve their full potential for health and well-being across the lifespan.”
  • Five overarching goals (each aligns naturally with OT’s focus on everyday doing):
    1. \text{Attain healthy, thriving lives and well-being, free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death.}
    2. \text{Eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all.}
    3. \text{Create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining full potential for health and well-being for all.}
    4. \text{Promote healthy development, healthy behaviors, and well-being across all life stages.}
    5. \text{Engage leadership, key constituents, and the public across multiple sectors to take action and design policies that improve the health and well-being of all.}
  • Key shift: quality of life & active participation are emphasized over mere longevity – mirrors OT’s holistic, occupation-centered lens.

Health Disparities

  • Concept: population-specific differences in disease rates, health outcomes, or access to services.
  • Populations at elevated risk
    • Rural Americans
    • Racial & ethnic minorities
    • Individuals with disabilities
    • Residents of high-poverty areas
  • OT ethical mandate
    • Commitment to nondiscrimination, inclusion, and social justice.
    • Therapists address environmental, attitudinal, and systemic barriers limiting occupational participation.
  • Clinical implication: A client can experience significant illness yet still achieve high health-related quality of life (HRQoL) when occupations remain meaningful and accessible.

Prevention Strategies in OT

  • Primary Prevention
    • Goal: prevent onset or reduce incidence of injury/illness.
    • OT tactics
    • Home & workplace ergonomics
    • Lifestyle redesign for healthy nutrition, physical activity, weight management
    • Smoking cessation group leadership
    • Universal screenings (falls, diabetes risk) embedded in community programs
  • Secondary Prevention
    • Goal: detect conditions early & interrupt disabling processes.
    • OT tactics
    • Post-concussion return-to-learn protocols
    • Early-stage arthritis joint-protection education
    • Adaptive equipment to curb secondary complications (e.g., pressure-relief cushions to avoid skin breakdown)
  • Tertiary Prevention
    • Goal: halt progression, reduce impact, and promote full participation despite chronic conditions or social determinants (e.g., poverty).
    • OT tactics
    • Work-hardening for chronic musculoskeletal pain
    • Community re-integration skills after spinal cord injury
    • Advocacy for housing modifications to support independent living

Population Health Approach

  • Focus on “communities of people” rather than single individuals.
  • Objectives
    • Identify determinants (social, economic, environmental) shaping collective health.
    • Reduce disparities; enhance well-being of the whole population.
  • OT relevance
    • Practitioners design group programs (e.g., aging-in-place workshops) or consult on urban planning to ensure walkability and accessible public spaces.

Health Promotion & Occupation

  • Positive mental-health promotion through occupation
    • Skill development (social skills groups, executive-function training)
    • Environmental supports (sensory-friendly classrooms, trauma-informed workplaces)
    • Task/context adaptations (graded leisure activities, flexible scheduling)
  • Risk-reduction strategies
    • Establishing healthy habits/routines (consistent sleep-wake cycle, mindfulness practice)
    • Relaxation & coping training (guided imagery, deep-breathing apps)

Occupational Imbalance

  • Definition: disproportionate allocation of time/energy to certain occupations, causing stress or ill-being.
  • Potential cascades
    • Unexpected caregiving ⇒ chronic stress, isolation
    • Job loss ⇒ depression, role confusion
    • Work overload ⇒ sleep disturbance, cardiovascular risk
  • OT intervention: occupational analysis, re-prioritization of tasks, time-use coaching.

Role of Occupational Therapy in Health Promotion

  • Core contributions
    • Promote healthy lifestyles through occupation-based interventions.
    • Address individuals and populations (schools, workplaces, municipalities).
    • Continuous competency: therapists expand knowledge of public health, wellness coaching, and social determinants.
  • Competency domains
    • Injury prevention & safety
    • Wellness program design
    • Assistive technology and environmental modification

Interdisciplinary Collaboration – Illustrative Scenarios

  • Nutritionist + OT: integrate dietary guidelines into real-life meal-prep occupations for clients with diabetes (DM).
  • Home health nurse + OT: co-plan strategies to select low-sodium frozen meals for clients with congestive heart failure.
  • OT + Elderly client: simplify preparation of high-maintenance foods (e.g., adaptive knives for vegetables).
  • Psychotherapist + OT: reinforce therapeutic goals by facilitating participation in peer support groups, integrating social participation tasks into weekly routines.

AOTA Online Resources

  • Public sections (no membership required)
    • Position papers, fact sheets on health & wellness
    • Overview of micro-credentials
  • Member-exclusive areas
    • Health & Wellness app database (curated, evidence-scored)
    • CEU courses and advanced certificates

AOTA Micro Credential – “Promotion, Resilience, and Wellness”

  • Definition: digital badge awarded after completion of themed coursework; may stand alone or ladder toward a professional certificate.
  • Educational value
    • Demonstrates advanced, evidence-informed competencies in preventative care and population health.
    • Enhances professional marketability and client outcomes.
  • Required course sequence
    1. Mindfulness for You and Your Clients
    2. Lifestyle Modification Series—Unit 2: Needs Assessments and Group Leadership
    3. Lifestyle Modification Series—Unit 3: Routine, Occupational Balance and Health
    4. Lifestyle Modification Series—Unit 4: Transportation and Occupation
    5. Lifestyle Modification Series—Unit 5: Stress and Inflammation Management
    6. Lifestyle Modification Series—Unit 6: Nutrition, Spirituality and Sexuality

OT-Friendly Apps (Sampling)

  • Refer to https://www.myotspot.com/occupational-therapy-apps/ for updated lists.
    • Categories: fine-motor games, cognitive training, habit trackers, mindfulness, ADL coaching.
    • Ethical note: verify data privacy policies and obtain informed consent before recommending.

Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications

  • Social justice: addressing health disparities fulfills OT’s commitment to equitable participation.
  • Intersectoral collaboration: aligns with Healthy People 2030 goal 5; therapists act as change-agents in policy, education, and community planning.
  • Lifespan perspective: interventions span neonatal feeding to aging-in-place—reflecting goal 4 of lifelong well-being.
  • Evidence-based practice: micro-credentials and continuing education ensure interventions remain grounded in current research.

Integrative Summary / Study Tips

  • Anchor your exam responses in the triad: Health Promotion – Prevention – Occupation.
  • Memorize definitions (primary, secondary, tertiary prevention) and be ready to give OT-specific examples.
  • Connect Healthy People 2030 goals to OT practice scenarios.
  • Use the occupational imbalance concept to justify intervention reasoning.
  • Cite AOTA position statements to support ethical arguments in case studies.
  • Familiarize yourself with at least three OT apps and articulate their therapeutic use.