OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research

This article describes the development and psychometric testing of the Life Balance Inventory (LBI), an instrument created to measure the construct of life balance as conceptualized in the Life Balance Model. After initial item development based on theory, expert opinion, and feedback from 52 adults, rating and scoring mechanisms were established and two phases of pilot testing were completed. The first (N = 282 adults) and second (N = 458 adults) pilot testing phases used Rasch analysis that showed the items were capturing a range of balance traits and that the items fit intuitively with the model of life balance. The internal consistency of the LBI for both tests was good (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89 to 0.97). Confirmatory factor analysis for the four subscales of the LBI was inconclusive. The LBI has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and content validity as a measure for life balance.

This study examined the construct validity of a model and measure of life balance conceptualized as congruence among both desired and actual time spent in activities, and equivalence in the degree of discrepancy between desired and actual time spent across activities that meet health, relationship, challenge/interest, and identity needs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships between life balance, perceived stress, personal well-being, and need satisfaction. A total of 458 participants representing mixed demographic groups participated in the study by completing four instruments. Structural equation modeling results indicated that congruence moderated by equivalence predicted lower stress, higher personal well-being, and higher need satisfaction, but equivalence alone did not. Working, having children at home, and being non-white negatively moderated congruence and larger family size positively moderated congruence. This study provides initial construct validity evidence for the model and measure of life balance.

The authors assessed the psychometric properties of the Valued Activity Inventory for Adults With Cancer (VAI-AC), a self-report instrument that measures activity limitations. Participants included 50 older adults undergoing chemotherapy who completed the VAI-AC and measures of physical and mental function, symptom intensity, and mood 3 days before and the day of chemotherapy. Test—retest reliability was assessed by determining the average number of items for which the importance of an activity was rated consistently and by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the first and second VAI-AC scores. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the VAI-AC scores with the other measures. Participants consistently rated the importance of 90% of the items. The 72-hour test—retest reliability ICC was 0.67. Participants with fewer activity limitations indicated better physical function (r = 0.58, p < .001), better mental function (r = 0.55, p < .001), lower symptom intensity (r = −0.57, p < .001), and fewer depressive symptoms (r = −0.68, p < .001). The VAI-AC demonstrated evidence of test—retest reliability and convergent validity in this convenience sample of older adults undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Sleep problems have been frequently identified in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It has been proposed that some sleep problems are due to sensory sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physiologic responses to sensation and sleep in children with and without ASD. Fifty-five children participated in the study (ASD, n = 27; typical, n = 28). All children participated in a sensory challenge laboratory protocol. Electrodermal reactivity and salivary cortisol were used as physiological indicators of sensory responsivity. Behavioral data were collected using the Sensory Profile and the Child Behavior Checklist. Results confirmed that children with ASD have a higher prevalence of atypical sensory behaviors and sleep disturbances than typical children. Behavioral and physiological measures were able to predict good sleepers versus poor sleepers with 85.7% accuracy, suggesting that atypical sensory behaviors are important to consider in relation to sleep deficits in children.

The purpose of this microethnographic study is to explore ways to better understand engagement in occupation of children with autism spectrum disorder. Using video data, moments of engagement were examined in a child with autism spectrum disorder during the daily classroom activity of Circle Time. The interpretive frame focused on mediated action, the interaction between the agent, and cultural tools. Three scenes were analyzed using narrative and micro-analytic strategies. Analyses of two scenes highlighted how social and material mediators offer opportunities for engagement. Other children with autism provided appropriate scaffolds and demonstrated evidence of intersubjectivity, whereas material tools provided proximal prompts that enabled the child to engage. The third scene suggests that engagement may not always be observable (i.e., engagement may be a subjective state). Implications for practice and methodological insights are offered.

The Activity Card Sort was developed to measure the level of participation of older adults in instrumental, social, and leisure activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the translated and culturally adapted Puerto Rican Spanish version of the Activity Card Sort (PR-ACS). This study included 106 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and older and 40 adults with multiple sclerosis aged 50 years and older. Results showed that the PR-ACS was able to discriminate between clients with different levels of functioning (t = 6.86; p < .001), and was positively associated with the Puerto Rican version of the RAND-36 Short Form Health Survey (r = 0.66; p < .001). Good test—retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.82) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) were demonstrated. Initial evidence of construct validity, concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test—retest reliability was found to support the use of the PR-ACS to assess occupational participation of Puerto Rican older adults living in the community.