Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Critically Appraised Topic

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Anne Haskins

Second Advisor

Breann Lamborn

Third Advisor

Gail Bass/Devon Olson Lambert

Abstract

The focus population for this critically appraised topic (CAT) was adults aged 18 years and older with chronic conditions. For this CAT, chronic conditions included depression, heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, and cancers. Chronic conditions greatly impact a large majority of the older adult population. Of the adult population, about 80% had at least one type of chronic condition while close to 70% had two or more (National Council on Aging, 2021). Diving deeper, the prevalence of chronic conditions in adults 65 years and older varied by race/ethnicity. According to Lim et al. (2018), “Asians, Hispanics, and Others showed significantly higher prevalence rates in hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and most dyads or triads of the chronic conditions” (p. 421) compared to the White population. White individuals were found to have a higher prevalence of dementia and arthritis (Lim et al., 2018). Chronic conditions may negatively impact an adult’s ability to partake in social and leisure activities. Occupational therapists recognize the importance and the impact engagement in meaningful occupations, such as social and leisure activities, have on one’s quality of life (Hocking, 2019). In this CAT, quality of life was described as lived experiences including subjective aspects of life, such as motivation (Flanagan, 2017).

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