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A cross-sectional design investigated the physical attributes of 15 dyads of people with dementia and their caregivers. Physical and cognitive markers determined deviations from clinical thresholds for loss of functional independence, where 100% of participants performed below criterion-referenced threshold values for aerobic endurance. Walking distance for people with dementia was associated with bath/shower activity ( p  = .007), transfers ( p  < .001), and mobility ( p  = .013). Less distance walked was associated with more assistance with self-care tasks. Physical deficits associated with low aerobic endurance and lower body strength compromised independence, placing dyads at risk for falls and mobility-related health issues.

IN BRIEF The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine providers' perspectives on cultural barriers and facilitators to diabetes self-management (DSM) in Arab Americans to identify factors to enhance DSM education in the Arab-American community. The main barriers to DSM from the providers' perspective were the disease itself and patients' denial or refusal to recognize it, reflecting the stigma of the disease. Cultural aspects also included overlapping themes that both facilitated and presented barriers to DSM. These results suggest that DSM education for Arab Americans will be most effective if developed and delivered in a manner consistent with the cultural facilitators and barriers noted by providers.

Background: Arab Americans have a high burden of diabetes and poor outcomes compared to the general U.S., Population: Diabetes self-management (DSM) requires a partnership between patients and providers that fosters mutual understanding and shared decision-making. Cultural factors influence this process; however, little is known regarding the cultural impact on DSM or if perceptions differ between patients and providers., Methods: Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze five focus groups-two groups with Arab American providers (n = 8) and three groups with adult Arab Americans with diabetes (n = 23). Focus groups examined patient and provider perspectives on the meaning of DSM and cultural barriers and facilitators among Arab American patients., Results: Four distinct themes included limited resources for DSM education and support, stigma as a barrier to ongoing support, family support as an opportunity and challenge, and Arab American patient-provider relationships., Conclusions: Findings indicate several domains should be considered for clinical practice including a need to develop linguistically and culturally reliant educational materials and relevant supports for use in the Arab American population. Findings highlight differing views among providers and patients on the familial role in supporting DSM efforts and why some patients feel dissatisfied with clinical encounters.

Postural control requires the integration of sensorimotor information to maintain balance and to properly position and orient the body in response to external stimuli. Age-related declines in peripheral and central sensory and motor function contribute to postural instability and falls. This study investigated the contribution of head position, standing surface, and vision on postural sway in 26 community-dwelling older adults. Participants were asked to maintain a stable posture under conditions that varied standing surface, head position, and the availability of visual information. Significant main and interaction effects were found for all three factors. Findings from this study suggest that postural sway responses require the integration of available sources of sensory information. These results have important implications for fall risks in older adults and suggest that when standing with the head extended and eyes closed, older adults may place themselves at risk for postural disequilibrium and loss of balance., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

The measurement of the social construct of Family Quality of Life (FQOL) is a parsimonious alternative to the current approach of measuring familial outcomes using a battery of tools related to individual-level outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the International FQOL Survey (FQOLS-2006), using cross-sectional data collected from 65 family caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. It shows a moderate correlation between the total FQOL scores of the FQOLS-2006 and the Beach Center's FQOL scale. The validity of five FQOLS-2006 domains was supported by the correlations between conceptually related domains.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to better understand barriers and facilitators of diabetes self-management education (DSME) among Arab American patients with diabetes. Little is known about the impact of Arab culture on DSME., Methods: Arab American adults (N = 23) with medically managed diabetes participated in 1 of 3 focus groups. An Arabic-speaking, trained moderator conducted video-recorded sessions. Verbatim Arabic transcripts were translated into English. Transcripts underwent a qualitative content analysis approach., Results: Arab American cultural traditions such as food sharing, religious beliefs, and gender roles both facilitated and at times impeded DSME. Patients also held conflicting views about their interactions with their providers; some participants praised the authoritative patient-physician relationship style while others perceived the gaps in communication to be a product of Arab culture. Participants expressed that lack of available educational and supportive resources are key barriers to DSME., Conclusion: Arab American culture affects DSM activities, and culturally sensitive educational resources are lacking. Development of DSME programs tailored to address relevant aspects of Arab culture might improve DSME outcomes in Arab American population., (© 2015 The Author(s).)

Cognitive load theory is a field of research used to improve the learning of complex cognitive tasks by matching instruction to the learner's cognitive architecture. We used an experimental posttest control-group design to test the effectiveness of instruction designed to reduce cognitive load (CL) and improve instructional effectiveness in teaching complex instruction to 24 first-year master's students under authentic classroom conditions. We modified historically taught instruction using an isolated-to-interacting-elements sequencing approach intended to reduce high CL levels. We compared control and modified instructional formats using written assessment scores, subjective ratings of CL, and task completion times. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for postinstruction, posttest CL ratings, and delayed written posttest scores (p < .05). No significant differences were identified for posttest completion times. Findings suggest that this approach can be used to improve instructional efficiency in teaching human locomotion to occupational therapy students., (Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

Postural control requires the integration of sensory information and is essential for performing every day movements and activities. Integrating sensory information from multiple sources may be challenging when competing sources of sensory information are affected. To further understand this complex relationship, this study investigated the contribution of varying sources of sensory information to postural control in healthy, young participants. Sixty young healthy adults (n=22 males; mean age, 24.6 ± 2.1 SD years and (n=38 females, mean age 24.0 ± 1.4 SD years) were asked to maintain a stable posture under conditions that varied standing surface, head position and the availability of visual information. Sway velocity was largest when standing on foam with eyes closed and head extended (2.07°/s) however, under the same visual-surface conditions with the head in a neutral position, sway velocity (1.59°/s) was smaller yet remained significant. Findings from this study suggest that postural sway responses are dependent on the combined integration of available sources of sensory information. It is anticipated that such baseline information will allow us to apply our findings to the clinical management of individuals suffering from balance and vestibular impairments.