The meaning of activity and participation in everyday life when living with hand osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this paper is, first, to advance the understanding of participation and its relationship to activity; second, to add to discussions or understandings of the ICF by contributing an empirically derived understanding of participation and its relationship to activity connected to the conduct of everyday life in people with hand osteoarthritis (hand OA). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 31 men and women living with hand OA because existing research on this group and the challenges they encounter in their everyday life is sparse. The analytical process was inspired by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis and informed by critical psychology and social practice theory as interpretive frameworks. Results: Our empirical findings indicate that persons with hand OA experience participation restrictions in their everyday lives and activity limitations as aspects of participation. This indicates that activity and participation are experienced as interrelated across social contexts. Conclusions: Participation in everyday life seems complex: what to participate in, how to participate and with whom seem of importance for subjective meaning-making. Implications are discussed in relation to methodology, the empirical findings, and clinical practice.

Key words::

• social practice
• qualitative study
• daily living
• critical psychology

Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to all who participated in this study. The study was financially supported by grants from the University of Southern Denmark, the University College Zealand, the Research Foundation of the Danish Association of Occupational Therapists, the Research Initiative for Activity Studies, and The Danish Rheumatism Association.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.