Participation in health promoting occupations among mothers of children aged 3–8 years with and without difficulties in sensory processing

Introduction

Participation in personally significant occupations often contributes to quality of life. Parenting a child with difficulties in sensory processing may present challenges that can affect subjective and objective components of parental participation, thus possibly decreasing their quality of life. This study aimed to compare these components between mothers of children with and without difficulties in sensory processing and explore their relationship with maternal quality of life.

Methods

Seventy mothers of children aged 3–8 years with (50%) and without difficulties in sensory processing completed questionnaires measuring subjective occupational experience, objective frequency of participation in health promoting activities, and quality of life. No consumer or community involvement occurred.

Results

Satisfaction with participation competence as well as objective frequency of participation in health promoting activities among mothers from the study group was found to be significantly lower than the control group. Additionally, a significant moderately strong correlation was found between these variables and the quality of life of all mothers.

Conclusions

Subjective and objective participation in health promoting activities is lower in mothers of children with difficulties in sensory processing. Additionally, the quality of life in all mothers was linked to their perceived capability and frequency of engagement in health-promoting activities. Raising awareness to the experience of mothers of children with challenges in sensory processing may help bring to attention the importance of enhancing mothers' engagement in health-promoting activities.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Mothering a child with difficulties in sensory processing can influence parents' emotional states and sense of competence, affecting how mothers take part in activities that support their health and quality of life. In this study, 70 mothers of children aged 3–8, with and without difficulties in sensory processing, were asked about how often they participate in activities that promote their health, their experiences, and about their quality of life. The mothers of children with difficulties in sensory processing felt less confident in their abilities and did fewer activities that support their health. Also, in all the mothers, their quality of life was related to how competent they feel and how often they performed these types of activities. This shows how important it is to support mothers of children with sensory processing difficulties helping them feel confident and join in activities that support their health. It is a reminder that family-focussed intervention is key to making sure mothers are doing well too.