‘I know what I am doing’: A grounded theory investigation into the activities and occupations of adults living with chronic conditions

Abstract

Background: A growing number of adults experience chronic conditions and related disability. However, a limited understanding of the activities and occupations of this population reduces the capacity of occupational therapists to deliver person-centred, occupation-based care.

Aims: To investigate the activities and occupations of adults living with chronic conditions.

Methods: Sixteen adults with multiple chronic conditions participated in two semi-structured interviews at their home or health center. Grounded theory methods were used to analyze data and construct a conceptual understanding of human occupation.

Findings: Human occupation was conceptualized as doing activities and actions with meaning, in the context of one’s life, health condition(s), and world. Three, two-dimensional categories of meaning were developed from the data: (i) connecting/reconnecting and disconnecting; (ii) caring and harming; and (iii) contributing and detracting.

Conclusions: The findings present a complex, dynamic and multifaceted understanding of the activities and occupations of adults living with chronic conditions.

Significance: This study demonstrates the value of exploring the experiences of actual or potential occupational therapy clients to refine the concept of human occupation. An in-depth knowledge of what people do is an essential foundation for person-centred, occupation-based practice.

Keywords:

• Multimorbidity
• chronic disease
• occupational therapy
• occupational science
• human activities
• participation
• qualitative
• person-centred

Acknowledgments

This article is based on research undertaken in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Monash University. The second and third authors were research supervisors. The authors wish to thank the participants of this study for sharing their experiences and Professor Ellie Fossey and Professor Simone Taffe for their assistance in developing this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded in part by a research grant from OT Australia, Australian Association of Occupational Therapists Victoria Inc.