Test-Retest Reliability and Internal Consistency of the Activity Card Sort-Australia (18-64)

Multiple-Case Study Exploration of an Occupational Perspective in a Persistent Pain Clinic

There is growing interest in an occupational perspective when working with people experiencing chronic pain. The Activity Card Sort Australia (18-64) is a client-centered and occupation-centered tool that has not been explored with this population. The aim of this study was to explore the process and experience of completing the ACS-Aus (18-64) with people experiencing chronic pain. This observational multiple-case study included video and audio-recordings of three participants (one male, one female, one nonbinary) completing the ACS-Aus (18-64) and semi-structured interviews at 1-week follow-up. Findings The findings for the process included two themes: the interaction (understanding engagement, therapeutic relationship and rapport, motivational interviewing) and the card sort (storytelling and reminiscing, identifying gaps and possibilities, categorizing and grouping cards). Occupational narratives of participants were developed from the experience. The ACS-Aus (18-64) supported participants to re-engage with their occupational selves and imagine future occupational engagement. Longitudinal studies are required to explore outcomes.

The Relationship between Cognitive Status and Retained Activity Participation among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Identifying retained activity participation to old age can improve age-related changes in balance and cognition function. Subjects ≥ 60 years were enrolled in this study. Balance and Cognitive function include working memory, executive function, and sustained and divided attention was evaluated with “Fullerton advanced balance”, “n-back”, “Wisconsin card sort”, “sustain and divided attention test”, respectively. In addition, retained activity participation was measured using the Activity Card Sort questionnaire. The univariate and multivariate regression analyses of different domains of retained activity participation were used as independent variables, including instrumental activity, low-effort leisure, high-effort leisure, and social activity on balance and specific domains of cognition. Seventy-seven subjects (65.3 ± 4.4 years, 61% female) were included. About 47% of older adults had a college education, 32.3% had a diploma, and 20.7% had elementary−middle education. These results show that retained instrumental activity had a relationship with working memory (β = 0.079, p < 0.05). In addition, we found that retained high-effort leisure activity can increase balance, divided attention, and executive function score (β = 0.1, β = 0.05, β = 0.02, p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a positive relationship between retained low-effort activity and sustained attention (β = 0.08, p < 0.05). In addition, the coefficient of determination (R2) for balance, working memory, executive function, sustained, and divided attention were 0.45, 0.25, 0.13, 0.11 and 0.18, respectively. The study suggests that retained activity participation types may have various effects on balance and some selective cognitive components in older people.

Comparing activity engagement of people aged 18 to 64 years with and without Parkinson’s disease

Introduction

Measuring activity engagement using the Activity Card Sort Australia (18–64) supports occupational therapists and clients to identify goals for therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate activity engagement for people aged 18 to 64 years with and without Parkinson’s disease.

Method

Thirty-two participants, 16 people with Parkinson’s disease (mean age 57.8) and 16 healthy adults (mean age 53.1), were required to sort 85 visual activity cards into one of five categories: ‘never done’, ‘do not do now’, ‘do now’, ‘do less now’ and ‘given up’. The retained activity values were calculated and compared using the Mann–Whitney U Test.

Results

The overall retained activity scores were not significantly different ( p = .81); however, the group with Parkinson’s disease had higher retained scores in the physical activities domain ( p = .04)

Conclusion

The preventative exercise regimes of people with Parkinson’s disease seems to influence activity engagement patterns. A more detailed understanding of activity engagement may further help form the basis of meaningful interventions.