Lifestyle Medicine and OT

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Helping people change their habits to change their health is one of the main mechanisms that makes OT effective. 

But, I don’t think we spend enough time thinking about how HARD it is to change our habits. 

The article we are looking at today focuses on changing lifestyle habits for adults at high risk of a cardiovascular incident, like a stroke. The author’s aim is to conceptualize how engaging occupations can be used to facilitate health promoting habits.

We’ll use this article as a jumping off point to discuss both habit formation and Lifestyle Medicine with Ryan Balats Osal OTD, MS, OTR/L, NZROT, CEAS, CHC.

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• ‘Weaving lifestyle habits’: Complex pathways to health for persons at risk for stroke

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• The effect of occupational engagement on lifestyle in adults living with chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Defining a structure and methodology for the practice of Lifestyle Medicine
• Preparing physical and occupational therapists to be health promotion practitioners: A call for action

Screens for OTs to use for each pillar of Lifestyle Medicine

1. Avoidance of risky substances 

• National Institute on Drug Abuse Quick Screen

2. Stress management

• Perceived Stress Scale

3. Physical activity

• Physical Activity Vital Sign

4. Restorative sleep

• The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

5. Whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern

• Starting The Conversation Assessment

6. Positive social connections

• Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6)

Health behavior change models for OTs to be aware of

• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT)
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to describe how occupation can be used to influence lifestyle habits and thereby health risks. 
• You will be able to identify intersections of lifestyle medicine and OT. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• What we know about lifestyle habits and stroke risk
• Engaging occupation and promoting health lifestyle habits
• Why was this specific article written?
• What is Make My Day?
• Who participated in the study?
• What were their methods for exploring the impact of evaluations?
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Ryan Osal) (50 minutes)

• Can you tell me how you found OT?
• How did you find Lifestyle Medicine?
• What were your initial impressions of our journal article?
• This article did not specifically mention lifestyle medicine, but does it align with your understanding of it?
• How do you see OT intersecting with lifestyle medicine?
• What do you think OT can learn from lifestyle medicine?
• How can OTs in traditional practices incorporate lifestyle medicine principles?
• How can an OT become more involved in lifestyle medicine?
• How has working in different countries impacted your understanding of lifestyle medicine? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about Lifestyle Medicine and OT. The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guest, Ryan Osal, also has no financial disclosures. 

Speakers

Ryan Balats Osal OTD, MS, OTR/L, NZROT, CEAS, CHC:

Ryan Balats Osal is a practicing occupational therapist in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. He has worked in various settings – home health, rehabilitation centers, early intervention, outpatient, workplace wellness, and academia.

Ryan received his Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Boston University. He was a lecturer and mentor for doctoral students doing research projects focusing on health and wellness, primary care, lifestyle modification, and behavioral economics at Slippery Rock University and University of Central Arkansas. He was a guest lecturer to Occupational Therapy universities and associations in the USA, Ghana, Haiti, Portugal, Namibia, and Spain. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L:

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. For more details read our blog post: Can I earn OT CEUS from a podcast? To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Explained. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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