Background. Several studies have reported an association between chronic pain and reduction of cognitive abilities of adults living in Western cultures. No literature could be found on the relationship between chronic pain and cognition among Middle Eastern adults. Objective. To compare four of the most commonly reported cognitive domains [memory, attention, processing speed, and executive functioning] among Middle Eastern adults with and without chronic pain. Methods. This matched group comparative study included 69 community residing and functionally independent Middle Eastern adults. Forty participants had chronic pain and 29 were pain-free. We administered five standardized cognitive assessments that are independent of culture and language to measure variable tasks of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. The study was conducted in a rehabilitation research setting with a controlled environment. Results. Evidence of decreased cognitive processing was found in patients with chronic pain. The chronic pain participants performed significantly worse than the pain-free participants on the cognitive measures of long-term memory, selective attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. Conclusion. The effect of Middle Eastern culture on the cognitive abilities of patients with chronic pain was negligible. Despite the wide variations between Eastern and Western cultures, the performance of our Middle Eastern participants in this study was consistent with performance of Western adults reported in previous studies.

Background/aim Little is known about learning style preferences of allied health students in the Middle East as the majority of learning style studies have been conducted in the western world. This study examined the learning styles of undergraduate allied health students at Kuwait University. Methods A stratified sampling method was used to compare the learning styles of 256 students enrolled in five allied health programs at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences Centre at Kuwait University. The students completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI-IIa) questionnaire in the first weeks of their course. Results The response rate was 73.1% (n=256). All of the allied health students from the five educational programs were highest in the areas of abstract conceptualization (AC). All the other allied health students, except physical therapists (PT), also indicated a preference for reflective observation (RO). Conclusion This study's participants' learning style preferences were ‘assimilator’, which is formed by an intersection of the AC and RO learning styles. Healthcare educators working in the Arab cultures are encouraged to modify their teaching styles in order to improve learning among their students.

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Objectives: In Kuwait, knowledge and attitudes of the health care teams toward occupational therapy practice (OTP) have not been investigated. This current study sought to explore the knowledge about and attitudes of interdisciplinary team members toward OTP. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved developing and validating a tool to serve the purpose of the study. We used a modified Delphi method to develop a tool that assessed occupational therapy (OT) knowledge (OT areas of practice, domains, and philosophy) as well as attitudes toward OTP. Descriptive statistics were utilized, and nonparametric tests were used to compare knowledge and attitudes along with the demographic data. Results: A convenience sample of 98 participants from various disciplines participated in this study. The tool was found to have an adequate content validity for a total of 27 items and satisfactory reliability (internal consistency); Cronbach’s α-values for the knowledge and attitudes subscales were 0.88 and 0.74, respectively. The overall knowledge level of OTP among the participants was limited, whereas their attitudes were favorable. Characteristics of being a female (p = 0.01), a nurse (p = 0.02), and working experiences ≥10 years (p = 0.01) contributed significantly to the knowledge of OTP. The results further indicated that participants working in general hospitals (p = 0.02) and working with occupational therapists (p < 0.001) showed significantly better attitudes toward OTP. Conclusion: For effective collaborative practice and better patients’ outcomes, the study findings recommend the development of interprofessional initiative committees targeting educational settings as well as clinical environments.

Mothers of children with disabilities perceive their QoL as poor and they have limited support systems. Occupational therapists are encouraged to serve as a resource for families, sharing information including available services and community resources, and supporting mothers as competent caregivers.

This exploratory study was aimed at evaluating the current status of global occupational therapy practice on the use of assessments for clients with cognitive impairments and providing recommendations for ongoing evidence. We targeted international occupational therapy clinicians working with clients experiencing neurocognitive impairments. 323 occupational therapists from a wide range of clinical practice areas participated in the study. A large number of therapists used noncognitive specific assessments with a focus on functional approaches. The most commonly used standardized assessments were the COPM (56.7%), followed by MMSE (54.2%) and MoCA (45.5%), while the nonstandardized assessments were clinical observation (38.4%) and generic ADL assessment (34.1%). The use of main assessments was significantly different across world regions (p<0.05), as were the reasons for choosing them (p<0.05). The occupational therapists’ use of assessment tools with clients suffering from neurocognitive impairments is inconsistent across the globe. The identification of international best practices for selecting and implementing proper outcome measures is warranted. It is essential to promote the development of an occupational therapy initiative to support the use of appropriate assessments at the international levels to facilitate consistent best practice.

Background/Aim: There is a shortage of tools aimed for occupational therapy practice in

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) face difficulties in performing daily occupations. The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of and level of satisfaction with daily occupations among people with MS, and to explore factors associated with their performance and satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 MS individuals. The Arabic version of Satisfaction With Daily Occupations (SDO) scale was used. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. SDO performance and satisfaction median scores were 10/14 and 51/70, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that unemployment and cognitive symptoms were associated with poor occupational performance. Furthermore, unemployment, being married, visual problems, and low endurance were significant correlates of poor satisfaction with performing daily occupations. Social and clinical factors contributed to dissatisfaction with the poor performance of daily occupations among people with MS. Intervention studies are needed to investigate the role of occupational therapy in improving the performance of daily occupations in people with MS.