Differences and similarities in the occupational repertoires of children from Brazil and Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Many models of human occupation are predicated on the notion that environments or contexts influence occupational performance and engagement. By extension, it can be considered that contexts shape the occupations in which children engage, impacting the development of their occupational repertoires. Purpose: This paper reports the secondary analysis of data from two parallel studies that examined the influence of context on the activity patterns and occupational repertoires of children ages 5 to 12 years living in two distinct countries, Brazil and Canada. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were gathered using a sociodemographic questionnaire, and the occupational repertoire and activity patterns were assessed using the Pediatric Activity Card Sort (PACS). Ninety-eight children with typical development were recruited from schools and a university hospital. Descriptive statistics were used to describe children’s demographics, engagement in the specific occupations that formed their occupational repertoires, and their activity patterns. Differences on the PACS total and category scores between countries were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test. Findings: Brazilian and Canadian children presented similar activity patterns; however, Brazilian children reported doing significantly more personal care occupations while Canadian children reported doing more hobbies and sports, resulting in differences in occupational repertoires. No difference was found between countries in the productivity category. Conclusion: At a broad level, contextual influences on the occupational development of children are obscured when examining activity patterns; however, examining the specific occupations that compose children’s occupational repertoires highlights the differences across context.