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Background: Leisure as an occupation plays an important role in people's daily lives. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the original Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire to Persian and assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version.Method: One hundred and forty healthy individuals participated in this cross-sectional study. Face and content validity were assessed by determining the impact score of the item, content validity ratio, and content validity index methods. Convergent validity was assessed using the correlation method between the Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire and the Occupational Balance Questionnaire-11, Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment, 36-item short-form health survey, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The reliability of the Persian version of the Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS. v. 23.0 software at a significance level of 0.05.Results: Face and content validity demonstrated an acceptable range (impact score: 2.2 to 4, content validity ratio: 0.57 to 1, and content validity index: 0.87 to 1). Significant correlations between assessment tools supported Convergent Validity. There was moderate internal consistency (α = 0.77) and excellent test-retest reliability for the number of leisure scores (interclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.894) and frequency of leisure participation scores (ICC = 0.883).Conclusions: The Persian version of the Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire is a psychometrically valid, reliable, and useful instrument to assess leisure in healthy Persian-speaking participants.

Background:Due to the crucial nature of knee joint stability in basketball players and the possible role of the rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio for determining knee joint stability in the early phase of explosive movements, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between the rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio and biomechanical parameters of hip and knee joints in the sagittal and frontal planes during the drop vertical jump test.Methods: Twenty healthy male recreational basketball players (aged 15-18) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. After measuring anthropometric data, the rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio was assessed using an isokinetic Biodex system. Biomechanical variables were measured using a motion analysis system during the drop vertical jump test.Results: The rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio (0-50 milliseconds) was negatively correlated with knee abduction angle (p = 0.028), knee adduction angle (p = 0.003), knee abduction moment (p = 0.023), and knee joint range of motion in the frontal plane (p = 0.01) during 17-50 ms after initial contact. Other biomechanical parameters did not significantly correlate with the rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio.Conclusion: This study's results revealed that the torque development rate hamstrings to quadriceps ratio was negatively associated with knee kinematic and kinetic parameters. Based on the outcomes of this study and previous investigations, it can be acknowledged that the rate of torque development hamstrings to quadriceps ratio might be a useful tool to add to athlete injury screening.

Background: Women faced enormous burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to specific conditions in homes during social isolation, women's occupational choices were limited by environmental factors. In a crisis, it is important to understand the human experience of what they do to meet the basic needs of Being, Becoming, and Belonging. This experience can reflect life participation and occupational wholeness during a pandemic. This research aimed to investigate the factors related to women's perceived experiences of Being, Becoming, and Belonging during social isolation/distancing.Methods: This cross-sectional study's participants were 1,168 women from Arab countries, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, and Spain, recruited using snowball sampling in a larger survey of the COVID-19 pandemic. They completed an internet-based questionnaire with questions extracted from the Occupational Wholeness Questionnaire. This questionnaire also included demographic information, perceived stress, and physical health.Results: Women with postgraduate education had a more positive sense of Being and Belonging. Women over 45 showed a higher negative sense of Being and Becoming. Stress was associated with the sense of Becoming.Conclusion: Older women experience social isolation more negatively. Conversely, women with postgraduate education are more likely to have a positive experience in such a situation. We conclude that an occupational imbalance resulting from a crisis may also positively affect life.

Background: This study explored the concept of ‘life balance’ during physical isolation due to COVID-19 in Iran in 2020. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 403 participants completed the internet-based "Life Balance Inventory (LBI)”, which includes five subscales: health, relationship, identity, challenging/interesting activity, and daily activities. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21, and a significant level of less than 0.05 was considered. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were utilized in the analysis. Results: The total mean score of LBI was 1.51+_0.38(unbalanced). The scores were distributed among the participants as follows: 52.6% of participants scored between 0.6 and 1.5 (very unbalanced); 37.7% of participants scored between 1 and 1.5 (unbalanced); 8% of participants scored between 2 and 2.5 (moderately balanced); and finally, 1.7% of participants scored between 2.5 and 3 ( very balanced). Significant relationships were found between LBI and gender (P=0.001), chronic comorbidity (P-value =0.029), and Job (P-value=0.044). The health subscale showed no statistical difference according to the demographic factors. Males demonstrated more life balance in their daily activities, including driving and social transportation (p=0/001). Married participants and those older than 40 exhibited more balance in the relationship subscale (p-value=0/001). Teachers and faculty members showed more balance in identity (p=0.014) and relationship (p=0.001). Higher-income participants revealed more life balance in the challenge/interesting subscale (p=0.033). Conclusion: The results suggested that participants experienced an unbalanced lifestyle during the early phase of COVID-19 isolation.

Purpose – Female adults diagnosed with myalgia encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often are marginalised because their condition is not fully recognised by medical and health-care systems. The purpose of this small-scale study was to explore the lived experiences of adult females with ME/CFS in England in relation to contributing factors that impact their occupational participation. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews was used with nine female adult participants who were selected using a purposive sampling method. A Thematic Networks tool was used to analyse data. Findings – Four organising themes were identified: impairment-, person-, environment- and society-related factors. Two global themes, invisibility and diagnosis stigma, were identified as the overarching issues that female adults with ME/CFS face in occupational participation. Originality/value – Many of the issues that contribute to lack of participation by this population are associated with environmental factors which are secondary to their illness.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders in the upper extremities are common among computer users. This study aimed to assess the effect of mouse pad angle on the forearm muscles activity and upper limb discomfort.Methods: This is an experimental research design. The mouse pad was set at 0, 10, 20, and 30 degrees of forearm supination. Ten subjects performed an identical text editing task with mouse in each pad position. Electrical activity of the selected forearm muscles was recorded with surface electrodes. 10-point rating scales were used for assessing perceived discomfort.Results: Extensor Carpi Radialis had the lowest mean of Electromyography (EMG) values in the 0° slanted pad (5.94), and the highest values were associated with Pronator Quadratus in 0-degree slanted pad (22.29). The highest and the lowest mean (SD) of the users’ upper limb discomfort were 3.70 (1.63) and 1.90 (1.28) in 30° and 10° slanted pads, respectively.Conclusion: Using slanted mouse pads could be a helpful and practical tool for office workers to keep more neutral wrist/hand positions.

Abstract Background Aikido is a martial art comprises of locking techniques and falls. During the locking techniques, the elbow joint is forced into extended position. Moreover, the elbow hits the ground during the falling techniques. These might compromise joint position sense (JPS). The objectives of this study were to compare JPS and strength of the muscles of elbow joint between Aikidokas and a non-athlete group and to evaluate the correlation between JPS and muscle strength among Aikidokas. Methods All male Jiyushinkai style Aikidokas and a healthy matched non-athlete group participated in this cross-sectional study. Passive JPS at a speed of 4°/s and the isokinetic strength of elbow flexors and extensors were assessed. Results Evaluating the isokinetic parameters revealed no significantly difference between the groups in either flexion or extension at speeds of 60 (P-value range: 0.2–0.99) and 120 °/s (P-value range: 0.05–0.96). Also, the groups had no significant difference regarding different types of reconstruction error including constant error (P-value range: 0.38–0.91), variable error (P-value range: 0.09–0.87), and total variability (P-value range: 0.30–0.80). Moreover, very weak to weak correlation was observed between isokinetic parameters and passive JPS (r-value range: 0.01–0.39). Conclusions JPS was not impaired in Aikidokas in spite of the repetitive stress applied to the elbow joint during the performance of Aikido techniques. The lack of significant difference in isokinetic between Aikidokas and healthy non-athletes, and the absence of an acceptable correlation between IPS and muscle strength in Aikidokas, might be attributed to the soft nature of Aikido.

Abstract Background Volunteering may have therapeutic benefits, but little is known about its requirements and potential for people with neurological conditions (pwNC). Design Two separate focus groups were conducted in Darmstadt, Germany: one group consisting of six pwNC and another group consisting of four health care professionals and three volunteering service providers. The focus groups were audio‐recorded, transcribed and data were managed using NVivo12. The thematic analysis was applied. Results Four main themes were identified: (1) Impact of volunteering, (2) Individualisation, (3) Developmental space and (4) Funded supported volunteering. Conclusion According to the findings, volunteering can be used as a strategy to enhance physical, mental and social well‐being in disease management for people with long‐term neurological conditions. Patients or Public Contribution Facilitators for accessibility of therapeutic volunteering; involvement of pwNC.

Background and Objectives: Time management is an essential skill that enables individuals to participate in daily activities effectively. The assessment of time management skills (ATMS) is a widely used instrument to evaluate time management skills, but its psychometric properties have not been examined in Persian-speaking populations. This study aimed to assess the cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Persian version of the ATMS (ATMS-P). Methods: A convenience sample of 144 healthy adults aged 18-55 years completed the ATMS-P, along with several other questionnaires. Face and content validity were determined using the impact score of each item, content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) methods. The construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and convergent validity was assessed by correlating the ATMS-P with other related measures. The reliability was assessed using internal consistency and test re-test methods. Results: Face validity impact scores ranged from 2.2 to 4 and the CVR was in an acceptable range of 0.57 to 1, with a CVI of 0.87 to 1. The EFA identified three factors for the Persian version of the ATMS: Time management, organization and planning and emotion regulation. The convergent validity of the ATMS-P was supported by significant correlations with other related measures. The internal consistency of the ATMS-P was excellent (Cronbach’s α coefficient=0.926) and it demonstrated good test re-test reliability (ICC=0.903). Conclusion: The ATMS-P has demonstrated good psychometric properties, making it a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating time management skills in Persian-speaking individuals.

Background and Purpose. Leisure, as an occupation, played a crucial role in promoting individuals’ health and well-being. However, the specific impact of leisure as an intervention for individuals with substance use disorder remains unclear. This pilot study was aimed at investigating the effect of a leisure intervention on occupational performance and occupational balance in individuals with substance use disorder. Methods. The sample for this quasiexperimental pretest–posttest with a two-month follow-up design comprised nine individuals aged between 18 and 55 years, selected using a convenience sampling method. The intervention consisted of a 2-month group leisure participation program, conducted twice a week, followed by a 2-month follow-up period. Primary outcome measures included occupational performance and occupational balance, and secondary outcome measures were leisure participation, quality of life, and drug craving. Outcome measures were assessed three times: preintervention, postintervention, and after the follow-up period. The outcome measures included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Occupational Balance Questionnaire-11 (OBQ11), Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire (NLQ), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Desire to Drug Questionnaire (DDQ). Data analysis was performed using the Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test as a post hoc procedure, with a significance level set at 5%. Results. The findings showed significant improvements in participants’ occupational performance in postintervention and follow-up assessments (p

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy for Therapeutic Use of Self (SETUS) scales, a questionnaire based on the Intentional Relationship model, and to investigate the factor structure and internal consistency of the English version of three-part SETUS questionnaire in occupational therapy students. Design/methodology/approach – The sample of this cross-sectional study included 155 students with age range 18–30 years, of which 95% were women. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was performed on the questionnaire scales, including the Self-Efficacy for Therapeutic Mode Use (SETMU), Self-Efficacy for Recognizing Interpersonal Characteristics (SERIC) and Self-Efficacy for Managing Interpersonal Events (SEMIE). The internal consistencies were calculated. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the strength of correlation among the scales. Findings – The PCA confirmed that the items of each of the three proposed scales loaded strongly on one factor (self-efficacy for three factors of therapeutic mode use, recognizing interpersonal characteristics and managing interpersonal events). The Cronbach’s alpha for the SETMU, SERIC and SEMIE was 0.85, 0.95 and 0.96, respectively. The three scales significantly inter-correlated strongly (r ranging 0.74–0.83, all p < 0.001). Originality/value – The SETUS questionnaire comprises three valid and reliable scales. It can be used by occupational therapy supervisors as a means to reflect on students’ self-efficacy in components of therapeutic use of self.

Objectives: Generally, adolescents who are interested in performing activities experience positive emotions and report high levels of well-being. However, adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP) encounter various issues affecting their interests. The present research was planned to investigate the predictor factors that affect the interest in performing activities in Iranian adolescents with CP. Methods: In total, 312 adolescents with CP (10-19-year-olds, Mean±SD age: 14.08±2.34 y) participated in this cross-sectional study. Their gross motor function was assessed by the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and their manual ability was evaluated by the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) in random order by an occupational therapist. All study participants also completed the Adolescent Interest Inventory-Cerebral Palsy (AII-CP). The predictive model was analyzed using a multiple linear regression model by the enter method. Results: The multiple linear regression analysis data presented that the highest independence in motor performance, personal values, social environment support, and age appeared to be the strongest predictors of interest in performing activities in the explored adolescents with CP (R2: 0.475). Discussion: Interest as a significant factor for participation and motivation in conducting daily living activities is associated with the highest independence in motor performance, personal values, social environment support, and the age of adolescents with CP.

Background: The volitional questionnaire is an observational tool to assess motivation, which is based on the MOHO model and completed by an assessor based on the individuals’ observation when performing an occupation or activity. The present study aims to translate and evaluate the validity and reliability of this instrument in individuals with severe mental illnesses and to provide an appropriate tool for volitional assessment. Methods: In this study, the volitional questionnaire was translated into Persian according to the IQOLA protocol. To assess the content validity, an expert panel was held with six experts. The face validity of the test was measured through completing a questionnaire by ten occupational therapists. To investigate the inter-rater reliability of the test, two testers completed the questionnaire for 30 individuals. The internal consistency of the instrument was calculated by performing the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, through completing the questionnaire for 98 individuals. Results: The participants in the expert panel stated that concept of motivation is properly reviewed by the items of questionnaire. All the questionnaire items had a significant important score of 0.7, indicating the suitability of its face validity. Inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.93) was ideal, and the internal consistency of the questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.86) was appropriate. Conclusion: The questionnaire has desirable validity and reliability and can be used by specialists as a suitable tool for clinical evaluation and therapeutic planning of individuals with severe mental illnesses.

Previous research has shown that occupational therapists have increased their self-efficacy for using self intentionally in therapeutic encounters. However, experiences related to such changes have not yet been explored. The authors developed a therapeutic use-of-self training workshop to support the confidence and competence of practicing occupational therapists in using the Intentional Relationship Model and possibly enhancing their self-efficacy for therapeutic use-of-self. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of practicing occupational therapists in transferring learning from a training workshop focused on the therapeutic use-of-self into real world practice. Thirteen occupational therapists participated in the workshop and subsequently completed between one and four reflection notes. These notes were subjected to qualitative thematic analysis. The findings were organized into four themes: therapeutic relationship reasoning, engrained previous learning, reflection on/in action, and level of skills in conducting reflection. Reflection skills seemed to be essential for establishing and developing therapeutic relationships; practicing such skills needs to be facilitated by the work environment through emphasis on reflective practice and mentoring.

Occupational therapy students need to develop self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self in practice. This longitudinal study examined Norwegian occupational therapy students’ self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self over a 16-month period and investigated predictors of their end-point self-efficacy. One hundred and eleven students from two universities completed a self-efficacy questionnaire related to the use of self after a workshop, and at 3-month, 10-month, and 16-month follow-up. The students’ self-efficacy development was analyzed with linear mixed effect models, while factors associated with self-efficacy were investigated with linear regressions. The students from both universities showed a linear increase in self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use (p < 0.001), recognizing clients’ interpersonal characteristics (p < 0.001), and managing interpersonal events (p < 0.001). However, for the students from University 1 the largest increase occurred in an early phase, whereas for the students from University 2 the largest increase occurred in a late phase. Only baseline scores were associated with the end-point measure at 16-month follow-up. The study indicates that students’ self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self increased during the follow-up period and adds to the knowledge about occupational therapy students’ self-efficacy development related to understanding and managing client-therapist interactions.

Objective This study aimed to assess the construct validity of the Child Occupational Self-Assessment, translated to Persian that could provide occupational therapists with a tool to evaluate occupational competence and values of children in Iran. Methods A total of 250 children (87 girls and 163 boys) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder aged 7.5–11 years referred from two specialised children’s hospitals were included. The researchers read the questions to the children and they identified their own answers. The data were analysed based on the Rasch Rating Scale Model. Results Four of the items showed misfit and as a result of deleting these items the Persian version of the questionnaire has 21 items with an appropriate validity. Conclusion The Persian version of Child Occupational Self-Assessment can be used with new items format. It could be also useful to replace the missing question to develop the tool further.

Introduction: According to the World Health Organisation ‘participation’, meaning involvement in everyday occupations, has a positive influence on health and wellbeing and lack thereof can lead to negative health consequences. Occupational therapy scholars believe this phenomenon needs exploring with attention to context. Variability is apparent in the way participation has been addressed in the context of voluntary immigration. This review aims to identify how the concept of participation and its association with the health and wellbeing of immigrants is addressed in research literature. Methods: A literature review method was applied. The data bases searched were: PubMed, ASSIA, CINHAL, PsycINFO, AMED, CRD, EBESCO Host, Sociological Abstract, Lexis and EMBASE. Articles that fulfilled all inclusion criteria were critically appraised in order to assess their quality. Sixteen articles from major related databases were included. Qualitative analysis was used throughout. Results: Participation was mostly identified by measuring the number of attendances or self-report of attendance in health-related services or social occupations. Four themes were identified: outlook of participation, contributing factors to participation, approaches to studying immigrants’ participation, and outcomes of participation. Conclusion: Participation lacks a common and exclusive definition that considers both objective and subjective experiences. How immigrants’ backgrounds and future perspectives affect what ‘participation’ means to them needs further exploration. The current publication has identified several contributing factors that need considering in health and social-related policies, plans and strategies. It is significant that enabling factors such as the positive attitude of immigrants, and providing support to immigrants can facilitate their participation pattern.

Background: Due to the rotatory nature of the excessive subtalar pronation and the possible impairment of the tibial rotation-knee flexion mechanism, changes of the free moment (FM) and changes of the extensor mechanism force are expected in hyper-pronated foot subjects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the FM applied on the lower extremity and the knee extensor mechanism force in subjects with flexible pronated feet. Methods: Fifteen asymptomatic female subjects (21.32±1.66 y, 56.30±6.08 kg, 159±6.3 cm) participated in the study. Excessive subtalar pronation was determined by measuring the resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP) in the frontal plane during weight bearing. A neutrally aligned foot was defined as having an RCSP between 2° of inversion and 2° of eversion. On the other hand, a flat foot had an RCSP of more than or equal to 4° of eversion. Both kinetic and kinematic data were collected using a six-camera motion analysis system and a single force plate. Three successful barefoot walking trials were recorded at selfselected speeds. The extensor mechanism force and the adductory component of the free moment (ADD FM) were calculated. The correlation between the ADD FM and the knee extensor mechanism force was examined using the Pearson correlation test. Results: The Pearson correlation analysis showed a high positive correlation between the ADD FM and the extensor mechanism force (r=0.917, P

Background: Chronic insomnia is associated with consequential experience that may affect quality of life. Understanding such experience can be helpful in planning effective interventions for patients with chronic insomnia. Objective: The study aimed to describe and illuminate the experience of living with chronic insomnia. Method: The study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenology approach. Participants were selected purposefully from patients with chronic insomnia who had been referred to the sleep disorders research center at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2014. Data were gathered through in-depth unstructured interviews and analyzed according to the Colaizzi method by means of Husserlian phenomenology. Results: Two main themes were found in this study, from which five sub themes were constructed: first, an upset mind, with the subthemes of insomnia as an unpleasant experience and insomnia as a worrying experience; and second, an unwanted new lifestyle with treatment seeking behavior, a boring new daily routine and being overshadowed by depressed mood as the subthemes. Conclusion: The study identified the experience of living with chronic insomnia as a painful one with both mental and practical aspects. The experience also explains how mental engagement and practical outcomes of chronic insomnia may interfere with well-being and quality of life in sufferers. It is recommended that patients' experiences would be considered in assessment and treatment of chronic insomnia. Therefore, therapeutic interventions should pay attention to this area.

Background: Leisure time is one of the most important aspects of life, especially for people with chronic diseases. The concept and types of leisure have frequently been evaluated in different socio-cultural populations. The aim of this study was to identify the nature of leisure activities among a sample of Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and classify the identified types of activities in the context of Iranian culture. Methods: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interview was applied to gather data from 34 MS patients that were selected through purposive sampling. The interviews were continued up to the point of saturation. Content analysis was used to explore experiences of the interviewees regarding their leisure activities. Results: Six categories of leisure activities were extracted for the studied patients with MS i.e.physical, social, individual, art/cultural, educational and spiritual/religious. Conclusion: The results represented the range and heterogeneity of leisure activities amongst the MS patients. Considering participation in spiritual/religious and social activities as leisure time undertaking might reflect cultural diversity in the perception and use of time for recreation. For mental health promotion purposes, paying special attention to the types of activities that people of different socio-cultural background choose for their refreshment could help health care providers in giving tailored advice for patients with MS and other chronic debilitating disease.

Background: The Intentional Relationship Model conceptualizes the therapeutic use of self in occupational therapy. To increase motivation for and success in establishing therapeutic relationships, therapists need self-efficacy for using the self in therapeutic practice. However, attempts to combine this model with self-efficacy theory are rare, and instruments by which to measure self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self are in a developing stage. This study aimed to examine the factor structure and internal consistency of the Norwegian Self-Efficacy for Recognizing Interpersonal Characteristics (N-SERIC). Methods: Occupational therapy students (n = 100) from two education programs completed the instrument and sociodemographic information. The factor structure was examined with Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s α and inter-item correlations. Results: The PCA revealed that all N-SERIC items belonged to the same latent factor, with factor loadings ranging between 0.75 and 0.89. The internal consistency of the scale items was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.96). Conclusions: The N-SERIC scale is unidimensional and the items have very high internal consistency. Thus, the scale sum score can be useful for occupational therapy research and audits focusing on interpersonal aspects of practice.

Background. Occupational therapy students need to develop self-efficacy for managing the therapeutic relationship in practice. This study examined the 10-month trajectories of Norwegian students’ self-efficacy for use of self. Methods. Eighty-nine students completed self-efficacy questionnaires related to the use of self after a workshop and at 3- and 10-month follow-up. Changes on the three outcome measures (self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use, for recognizing clients’ interpersonal characteristics, and for managing interpersonal events) were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. Results. Across the follow-up period, the students improved their self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use (partial η2 = 0.44, p

Background: The intentional relationship model (IRM) proposes six distinct ways of relating to clients. A new instrument for measuring self-efficacy for using the therapeutic modes in occupational therapy practice was recently found to have good psychometric properties. To date, however, no research has investigated factors associated with self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use. Aim: This study aimed to explore sociodemographic and education-related factors associated with self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use in a sample of occupational therapy students in Norway. Methods: Occupational therapy students (n = 111) from two education programs completed the Norwegian version of the recently developed “Self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use” (N-SETMU), in addition to reporting sociodemographic and education-related information. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine factors independently associated with the students’ N-SETMU scores. Results: Higher N-SETMU scores were associated with better average academic performance among the students. Otherwise, none of the associations were statistically significant. Conclusions: As better academic results were linked with higher self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use, the study indicates that some students perform well academically and have high self-efficacy for practical skills, whereas others perform less well academically and have lower self-efficacy for practical skills. A potential transfer of self-efficacy beliefs from one area of performance (academic) to another (practical skills) seems possible, and this may be investigated in future studies.

Background. The Intentional Relationship Model (IRM) proposes six therapeutic modes as ways of relating to clients. The Norwegian self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use (N-SETMU) was found to have a one-component structure. However, its items reflect abstract concepts rather than concrete behaviors. Aim. To validate further the N-SETMU by linking its items to the Norwegian client assessment of modes (N-CAM), with 30 items constituting six scales (linked to each mode), possessing concrete, behavioral content. Methods. Occupational therapy students (n=111) completed the N-SETMU and the N-CAM derived items, along with sociodemographic information. Component structure was analyzed with Principal Components Analysis (PCA), internal consistency of scales with Cronbach’s α, and associations between scale scores with Pearson’s r. Results. All items on all N-CAM derived scales loaded on one latent component, except one item related to problem-solving. After removing this item, the scale functioned appropriately. Cronbach’s α for all N-CAM derived scales ranged 0.88–0.94, and the associations between the N-CAM derived scales and the corresponding N-SETMU items ranged between 0.60 (advocating) and 0.79 (encouraging). Conclusions. In view of the strong associations between the concrete, N-CAM derived scales and the abstract N-SETMU items, this study supports the concurrent validity of the N-SETMU.

Introduction: In assessing the factors affecting the knee joint biomechanics foot malalingments are more important due to ability to change the applied force direction, so the main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the excessive subtalar pronation and changes of Q-angle and whether taping of the Medial Longitudinal Arch (MLA) could accordingly change these variables. Materials and Methods: 76 volunteers (aged 20-40 years) were recruited from physical therapy clinic of shiraz school of rehabilitation and were divided to 2 groups. 1) Pronated Symptomatic Knees (PSK) included 38 subjects having excessive subtalar pronation and knee symptoms. 2) Pronated Asymptomatic Knees (PASK), included 38 subjects having excessive subtalar pronation without knee symptoms. Subtalar and Q-angles were measured before and after medial longitudinal arch Taping by employing a goniometer in both PSK and PASK groups. Pearson Correlation coefficient Test, Paired sample T-Test and Wilcoxon test were used to fulfill the statistical analysis. Results: A strong correlation was found between subtalar and Q-angles before taping in both PSK & PASK groups. In females (P=0.002) and (P= 0.0010) for PSK and PASK, respectively and in males (P=0.001) and (P =0.001) for PSK and PASK, respectively. There was a significant difference between subtalar angle and Q-angles before and after applying taping method in both PSK & PASK. Conclusion: It seems that in the hyper pronated foot subjects applying the MLA taping method may result in decreasing the Q- angle which, in turn, may eventually improve knee joint biomechanics. Key words: Flat foot, subtalar pronation, Q angle, Taping

Objective: It has been postulated that subtalar position and movement would influence the function of the foot and the lower limb’s biomechanical alignment as a whole. The aim of this study was to compare the changes of force applied to the knee extensor mechanism of the female subjects while applying three different in-shoe orthotic appliances. Materials & Methods: Feiss Line test was used to assign a group of 10 healthy female subjects aged at 19-25 years as flat foot group. Retro reflective calibration and tracking markers were placed on the subjects over anatomically relevant locations. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected by employing a three dimensional motion capture system (Qualisys®Ltd, Sweden) and a force platform (Kistler®, Switzerland) respectively, while subjects walked at their preferred speed with 3 different in-shoe orthotics: simple insole, insole with medial arch support, insole with medial arch support and medial heel wedge, and insole with medial arch support and lateral forefoot wedge. Results: A statistically significant lower amount of the force applied to the extensor mechanism was found while applying medial arch support combined with lateral wedge (P=0.005). Conclusion: It could be concluded that changes of the different foot insoles would alter the force applied to the knee extensor mechanism. Results of this study emphasize the immediate effect of applying a medial arch support combined lateral wedge on reduction of the force applied to the extensor mechanism through which decrease a tendency towards musculoskeletal injuries.