TY - JOUR
T1 - Pilot study of a self-management program for parents with spinal cord injury or disease
AU - Walker, Carla Wilson
AU - Holowatuk, Mary
AU - Dashner, Jessica
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge Carolyn Baum, Christine Berg, and Kim Walker for their time in reviewing and providing feedback on this article, as well as Chih-Hung Chang for assistance with statistical analysis and Megen Devine for editing. Funding for this project was provided by the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Education Foundation (Grant No. 764). Poster presentations were made at the 2016 PVA conference in Orlando, FL, and the 2017 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo in Philadelphia, PA. This study is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04457206).
Funding Information:
A mixed-methods approach with two phases was used to develop, implement, and evaluate the Parenting Self-Management Program for parents with SCI/D. Phase 1 included the development portion of the project, and Phase 2 was the implementation pilot study. Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Research Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Importance: This study lays the groundwork for a self-management program run by occupational therapy practitioners for parents with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). Objective: To develop and implement the Parenting Self-Management Program with people with SCI/D and evaluate the potential impact on knowledge, self-efficacy, and participation. Design: A mixed-methods approach was used to develop (Phase 1) and implement and evaluate (Phase 2) a pilot group intervention for parents with SCI/D. Setting: Community-based occupational therapy settings. Participants: Phase 1 participants were professionals working in the field of disability and SCI/D (n = 11) and experienced parents with SCI/D (n = 9). Phase 2 participants were people with SCI/D who were newly injured or inexperienced in parenting (n = 10). All participants were paid volunteers. Intervention: The 4-wk Parenting Self-Management Program was piloted with 10 parents with SCI/D. Participants attended a weekly program with other parents with SCI/D led by occupational therapists in which they received parenting resources and presentations and set weekly goals. Outcomes and Measures: The General Self-Efficacy Scale, a modified version of the Participation Survey/Mobility, and open-ended questions regarding parents’ participation in parenting tasks were administered during Phase 2. Results: Significant increases (p < .05) in perceived knowledge were found for the topics of emergency preparedness, home modifications, adapted equipment, fatigue management, pain management, and community resources among Phase 2 participants. Conclusions and Relevance: A self-management approach combined with pertinent resources for parents with SCI/D yielded positive outcomes. What This Article Adds: This research demonstrates that a self-management structure for a specific population (people with SCI/D) in combination with a targeted occupation (parenting) and delivered through group occupational therapy services, improved client outcomes.
AB - Importance: This study lays the groundwork for a self-management program run by occupational therapy practitioners for parents with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). Objective: To develop and implement the Parenting Self-Management Program with people with SCI/D and evaluate the potential impact on knowledge, self-efficacy, and participation. Design: A mixed-methods approach was used to develop (Phase 1) and implement and evaluate (Phase 2) a pilot group intervention for parents with SCI/D. Setting: Community-based occupational therapy settings. Participants: Phase 1 participants were professionals working in the field of disability and SCI/D (n = 11) and experienced parents with SCI/D (n = 9). Phase 2 participants were people with SCI/D who were newly injured or inexperienced in parenting (n = 10). All participants were paid volunteers. Intervention: The 4-wk Parenting Self-Management Program was piloted with 10 parents with SCI/D. Participants attended a weekly program with other parents with SCI/D led by occupational therapists in which they received parenting resources and presentations and set weekly goals. Outcomes and Measures: The General Self-Efficacy Scale, a modified version of the Participation Survey/Mobility, and open-ended questions regarding parents’ participation in parenting tasks were administered during Phase 2. Results: Significant increases (p < .05) in perceived knowledge were found for the topics of emergency preparedness, home modifications, adapted equipment, fatigue management, pain management, and community resources among Phase 2 participants. Conclusions and Relevance: A self-management approach combined with pertinent resources for parents with SCI/D yielded positive outcomes. What This Article Adds: This research demonstrates that a self-management structure for a specific population (people with SCI/D) in combination with a targeted occupation (parenting) and delivered through group occupational therapy services, improved client outcomes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099331909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5014/ajot.2020.036574
DO - 10.5014/ajot.2020.036574
M3 - Article
C2 - 33399055
AN - SCOPUS:85099331909
SN - 0272-9490
VL - 75
JO - American Journal of Occupational Therapy
JF - American Journal of Occupational Therapy
IS - 1
M1 - 7501205070
ER -