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Understanding decision-making towards housework among women with upper limb repetitive strain injury
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posted on 2016-02-01, 00:00 authored by T W C Cheung, L Clemson, K O'Loughlin, Russell ShuttleworthRussell ShuttleworthBACKGROUND: Among women with upper limb repetitive strain injury (RSI), occupational therapy interventions include education to facilitate ergonomic practices in housework. From a client-centred perspective, an understanding of women's decision-making about housework is needed to design effective occupational therapy programmes. This study addresses a gap in research in this area by exploring women's views about changing housework habits. AIM: The aim was to construct a conceptual representation to explain decision-making in housework by drawing on experiences of a sample of Singapore Chinese women with upper limb RSI from one hand therapy clinic. METHODS: Based on a constructivist grounded theory methodology, data were collected through in-depth interviewing with 15 women. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Data were analysed with line by line coding, focussed coding and axial coding with constant comparison throughout data collection. RESULTS: Decision-making in housework among these women involved three main themes: (i) emotional attachment to housework; (ii) cognitively informed decision; and (iii) emotionally influenced decision. Women with upper limb RSI had to make cognitive decisions for or against a change in housework to manage their condition. However, the women's cognitively informed decisions were shaped by their emotional attachment to housework. As such, they experienced strong emotional barriers to changing their housework practices even when they had cognitively accepted the necessity and possibility of making a change. CONCLUSIONS: Therapists need to be aware that counselling to address the emotional barriers experienced by women is important during ergonomic education.
History
Journal
Australian occupational therapy journalVolume
63Issue
1Pagination
37 - 46Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing AsiaLocation
Richmond, Vic.Publisher DOI
ISSN
0045-0766eISSN
1440-1630Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2016, Occupational Therapy AustraliaUsage metrics
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