Date Presented 4/1/2017 This qualitative descriptive study examines the experience of occupational engagement in nine low-income Latina breast cancer survivors and suggests the potential for occupational therapy practitioners to improve health outcomes in this population. Primary Author and Speaker: Alix Sleight

OBJECTIVE. To describe sleeping behaviors and trends over time among an ethnically diverse group of community-living older adults. METHOD. A descriptive secondary data analysis of a subsample (n = 217) from the Lifestyle Redesign randomized controlled trial was done to explore baseline napping and sleeping patterns as well as 6-mo changes in these outcomes. RESULTS. At baseline, the average time sleeping was 8.2 hr daily (standard deviation = 1.7). Among all participants, 29% reported daytime napping at baseline, of which 36% no longer napped at follow-up. Among participants who stopped napping, those who received an occupation-based intervention (n = 98) replaced napping time with nighttime sleep, and those not receiving an intervention (n = 119) experienced a net loss of total sleep (p < .05). CONCLUSION. Among participants who stopped napping, the occupation-based intervention may be related to enhanced sleep. More research examining the role of occupation-based interventions in improving sleep is warranted.

Date Presented 4/16/2015 Sleep problems threaten occupational engagement in older adults. This pilot study suggests that occupational therapy may enhance sleep by targeting engagement in occupation. This study provides a structure for future researchers analyzing the role of occupational therapy in older adult sleep behaviors.