To identify the barriers and facilitators for exercise in older adults (50 years or over) specific to those living in rural and remote areas in Australia and to identify how this relates to falls prevention exercise programs in these areas. Literature review. Search of the databases of Medline, Scopus and Social Sciences Citation Index. Rural and remote areas. Searching identified 56 articles relating to barriers or facilitators to exercise in older adults in general, of which 25 are discussed in the article. Five of these articles specifically related to rural and remote areas, of which all were from studies in the United States. No literature specifically relating to rural and remote Australia was identified. Therefore, articles included in the final review were from three different domains - world literature (excluding those specific to rural and remote areas of Australia), rural and remote literature (note not Australian), and Australian literature to enable a comparison between the different populations to occur. There are similarities and differences between the barriers and facilitators in various populations, and no one factor alone will enable exercise in older adults. Research needs to be conducted on the barriers and facilitators to exercise in older adults living in rural and remote areas in Australia. Falls prevention exercise programs need to be tailored to suit the unique needs of the rural and remote older population.
Tables: 3 1 Abstract Introduction: Strong professional identity allows for appropriate representation and promotion of occupational therapy. Academic education assists in the development of occupational therapy identity. Thise study aims of this study was to explore the development of occupational therapy identity and graduate attributes in occupational therapy students after the first year of a revised curriculum.Method: Occupational therapy students (n=58) were surveyed at the commencement of second year. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (χ² for trend).Results: Fifty-four students (93.1%) completed the survey. Students progressively developed occupational therapy identity over time. There were no significant associations between main factors influencing original decision to study occupational therapy and when occupational therapy identity developed. However, Tthere were significant associations between main factors that influencinged students' decision to continue studying occupational therapy (but not the main factors that influenced decision to study) and when occupational therapy identity developed. Most students agreed the curriculum equipped them to develop graduate attributes, although this was not significantly associated with factors that either influenced students to study or continue studying occupational therapy. There was no significant association between the main factors that influenced students to study or continue studying occupational therapy and graduate attributes. There was significant association between development of graduate attributes and occupational therapy identity graduate attributes and development of occupational therapy identity over time.
Conclusion:This study showed an emergence of occupational therapy identity and graduate attributes in students demonstrating the importance of the first year curriculum in the development of these factors.2
Few studies explored falls and their prevention in rural and remote Australia. The limited literature on the topic suggests that a change in focus to one that utilises existing services and resources will be required to create sustainable outcomes. Four areas are proposed for concentrated effort to reduce the impact of fall-related injury in rural and remote Australia: integration and collaboration among health professionals, promotion of physical activity across the lifespan, community involvement and ownership of interventions, and evaluation and publication of findings.
The importance of the first year experience in retaining occupational therapy students is highlighted. Engagement with other students and staff and academic support are important factors in facilitating student retention. It is important to understand the unique factors influencing students' decisions, particularly those from regional and remote areas, to enter and continue in tertiary education to assist in implementing supports and strategies to improve student retention.
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