Holistic and biomedical concepts of health : A study of health notions among Swedish occupational therapists and a suggestion for developing an instrument for comparative studies.

• The objectives of this study were to inquire into notions of health among a group of 439 Swedish occupational therapists and to test a model derived from a qualitative study by Björklund and Svensson in a representative sample of occupational therapists in Sweden. The data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The means and ranking of the health notions showed that the Swedish occupational therapists most frequently hold holistic notions of health, and to a smaller extent biostatistical ones. Most Swedish occupational therapists indicate that being clearly conscious of one’s health notions is important both to themselves and to their profession. The test of the model provides a step towards developing an instrument for measuring notions of health that clearly distinguishes between holistic and biomedical ones and that could possibly be used for comparative studies.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsterapi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Therapy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Annan hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Other Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Biostatistical model of health

health notions

holistic model of health

Occupational therapy

Arbetsterapi

Theory of science regarding care and nursing

Vetenskapsteori med inriktning mot vård- och omsorgsområdet

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)