Article Critique #7- Dancing Towards Quality of Life

Dancing Towards Quality of Life

Megan Cooley

Brigham Young University

 Dancing Towards Quality of Life

            Recently my mother started volunteering with homeless children once a week teaching art lessons. The children are various ages, each coming from hard family background, each experiencing homelessness with their family. She has been doing this for several weeks now, and has loved watching the change that she sees in the children each week as they come to class at St. Ann’s Homeless Shelter. I chose the article, “It Gives Me Purpose”: The Use of Dance with People Experiencing Homelessness, by Melissa Knestaut, under direction of Mary Ann Devine CTRS, and Barbara Verlezza, because I have become really interested with my moms experience and wanted to read a study that was similar  to see its conclusion.

Article Summary

            Knestaut began this project when a homeless shelter opened in a suburban Midwest town and was asking for volunteers. In response, she made first contact with the shelter. The shelter serves as a transitional housing opportunity for up to 35 residents while they look for work and a home. The shelter provided many social services and educational opportunities, but Knestaut noticed that the residents had few opportunities for self-expression or meaningful physical outlets. Upon orientation to the processes and goals of the homeless shelter, she noted that while many resources were provided to ensure basic needs were met, very few leisure opportunities existed to encourage coping skills, increased quality of life, and autonomy for the residents. Familiar with the benefits of leisure and therapeutic recreation, she proposed to use the TR process to implement a program to address some of the leisure needs of the participants. She then began teaching a weekly dance class in an attempt to provide a means to cope with stress, create a sense of belonging for participants, and help to improve their quality of life (Knestaut, Devine & Verlezza, 2010).

Article Strengths

            Knestaut stated several times the psychological problems that occur with homelessness, whether chronic or acute. Those included depression, stress, alienation, lack of continuity in their life, and uncertainty of their future. In other pages she also included loneliness, isolation, guilt, hopelessness, loss of confidence, disconnection, and emptiness. These findings strengthened the article because it allows the reader to take a different perspective. Personally, I had never really thought about the negative effects of homelessness on someone’s psyche.  I don’t think many people pass someone living on the street and think, “He must really feel shame and lack of confidence.” No, most people think how bad that would be if that were them, or wonder what the person did to get to that point in their life.

            That leads me to another strength in the article, where Knestaut stated most common reasons for homelessness. Those included unemployment (i.e., insufficient income), to natural disasters, unstable mental health, or victims of domestic violence (Knestaut, et al 2010). This is another area where perspective can change. Many individuals view homelessness as laziness, or relating to drugs, but in many cases it is much more complex and devastating than that.

            Another strength of the study was that before the program started, Knestaut sat down individually with several of the participants and did interviews about which types of music they were interested in, which types of dances they wanted to learn, and their backgrounds. Knestaut thought this was a valuable step in the project because it opened the door for a relationship with the participants, and provided a foundation of trust and acceptance from the very beginning.

            Kenstaut noted a very important finding, which grants An additional concern expressed by the staff of the shelter was that residents had social networks and leisure preferences that were destructive or counterintuitive to the services being provided. Thus, the dance program was designed and implemented in an effort to decrease stress, increase positive feelings, and encourage self-determination and the use of dance as a coping mechanism with individuals who are homeless.

Article Weaknesses

There was a very significant weakness with this project, and it has to do with sampling size, and inconsistency of the study. Knestaut wrote that representing the Caucasian race, nine participated, representing the Latina race, one participated, and African American race, one participated. Participants ranged in ages of 18-50, including three male and eight female adults. Residents were encouraged to take part in a free dance class offered twice a week for eight weeks. Not all were able to attend every class because of varied schedules and transitions into new homes. Many participants were only residing at the shelter long enough to be involved in one class, some participated two, or three times, and the maximum consistency of participation was four classes, by only two people (Knestaut, et al 2010).

I thought that based on this type of study, it would be ineffective to base psychological improvement results on a short eight week study where only two individuals participated for the duration of the project. It doesn’t allow for statistically significant evidence. Also, based on the relatively small sample size, results may be biased, or skewed.

Another weakness with the program, was the amount of confidentiality required and maintained by the shelter and the individuals throughout the entire project. Kenstaut was not allowed to know a lot of data about the participants because of confidentiality laws and standards that the shelter held. I feel this limited the amount of help that could be given through the debriefing assessments that were held after each dance session. I can imagine that it was challenging to really influence lives, and get to know participants with such limitations.

Results and Responses

            Data were collected for program evaluation purposes rather than scientific re- search purposes. Before and after the adult class each participant completed a survey containing a Likert-type scale (1 not at all to 5 extremely) on which they rated the degree to which they were feeling happy, motivated, relaxed, depressed, frustrated, energetic, sad, joyful, stressed, and tired (Knestaut et al). Responses were mostly positive and showed that individuals felt more energetic, more relaxed, and more joyful, however it is important to keep in mind that these responses are from 11 individuals, of which only a couple participated fully.

            I found it enlightening and hopeful that even individuals who only participated some of the time, still felt the difference that recreation brought to their daily lives, and potential it carried to make their lives better. Some of the participants asked for the dance program to be extended, and for Knestaut to teach more frequent classes.

            Overall, the participants reported a greater sense of belonging, self determined behavior, and experienced reduces stress. It shows that dance, among other various forms of recreation, can be a coping mechanism for hardships, even ones as severe as homelessness.

                                                                      References

Knestaut, M., Devine, M. A., & Verlezza, B. (2010). "it gives me purpose": The use of dance with people experiencing homelessness. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, XLIV(4), 289-301.

Article Critique #6- Exercise in Older Adults

Critique of Exercise in Older Adults

Alyssa Felix

Brigham Young University

Critique of Exercise in Older Adults

            In the article “Exercise and Functional Disability in Older Adults”, Kenneth Mobily discusses a survey done among elderly adult that studied the relationships between recreational and physical activity levels and functional disability level. Though the study was flawed, it showed that there was a relationship between higher levels of exercise and lower levels of functional disability.

Summary

            This article discussed how increased exercise can have a good effect on the level of functional disability of an older adult. Exercise, especially in older adults, is important for combating disease and maintaining health, but also it also helps to lengthen lifespan and increase quality of life. The author specifically wants to understand how exercise can increase quality of life in regards to functional ability (Mobily, 2013). A functional disability was defined as the ability or inability to do normal, everyday tasks that are essential to living independently (Mobily, 2013).

            To gather the data for this study, a telephone survey was done that included 1,103 adults that were 60 or older (Mobily, 2013). They were asked about their exercise levels and their ability to perform everyday tasks. After the data was gathered, statistical analysis was done. Exercise levels served as the independent variable while functional ability was the dependent variable. Mobily found that there was a positive relationship between exercise level and functional ability (Mobily, 2013). However, this relationship was not in the dose-dependent or linear manner that he expected. He realized though, that this result may be because the population was far healthier than he previously realized (Mobily, 2013).

 Strengths

            This study was one of the first studies to actually look at the relationship between functional disabilities and exercise levels. Mobily was very thorough in his research in backing up his hypotheses and was very detailed in discussing his processes and results. He based the levels of exercise used in the survey off of the Center for Disease Control’s recommended levels of exercise so that his results were standardized.

Weaknesses

However, the method of gather data used in this article was very flawed. The survey was only given to a predominantly white population, about 90% (Mobily, 2013). This exclusion of minority groups would have skewed the data. By including more cultural groups in the study, it would be less biased. The article also made no mention of the geographic area that this study or the gender make-up of the population surveyed. More diverse studies on this topic should be done to get a better idea of the entire population’s exercise and functional disability levels. Also, different forms of studies and experiments should be done. With the type of study done in this article it is impossible to tell if the functional disability was decreased because of the exercise or if a higher functional ability meant the subject was able to exercise more.

Application

            This survey showed that there was a relationship between functional ability and recreational and physical activity levels. The concept aligns with previous literature, research, and findings that discusses how exercise and other physical activity is good for your body in many ways. While further research is needed in this area, the information can be useful to Recreational Therapists. By encouraging, more physical activity in clients, a change in overall health can occur, including decreases in functional disabilities.

Reaction

            I chose this article mainly because I had using articles that discussed recreation in youth settings and decided to do something new. I also was interested in this article as I have a grandmother with fibromyalgia who has functional disabilities. Many of the concepts discussed in this article apply to her and her situation and could be very beneficial to her. Even though I am not an older adult, this research is still helpful for me personally. Understanding that recreational and physical exercise has many health benefits and implementing them in my life will help me be healthier as I continue in adulthood.

References

Mobily, Kenneth B. (2013) Exercise and functional disability in older adults. Therapeutic

Recreation Journal, 47, 47-60

Article Critique #5- Adoptive Families

                         Article Critique for Leisure and Family Functioning in Adoptive Families

 Implications for Therapeutic Recreation

Spencer Lowe

Brigham Young University

 Article Critique for Leisure and Family Functioning in Adoptive Families: Implications for Therapeutic Recreation

I will be analyzing the article entitled Leisure and Family Functioning in Adoptive Families: Implications for Therapeutic Recreation by Patti Freeman, Ph.D. and Reelin’ Ramon Zabriskie, Ph.D. CTRS. In this analysis I will 1. Give a brief summary of the article 2. Discuss some of the strengths of the article 3. Discuss apparent weaknesses of the article 4. Talk about ways that the information provided in the article can be utilized by practicing Recreational Therapists and 5. Discuss some personal reactions to the article and give reasons for my interest in the article.

Brief Summary

This article is a report on a research study done studying the role of recreation in families who have adopted children of color. The article begins by describing some of the problems that led to the need for this study to be done. One of the problems is that practitioners often try implementing recreational interventions with their clients and their families while having very little theoretical data to support their methods, which often leads to these practices being short-lived, as well as making outcomes from such programs hard to measure.

            The purpose that the authors state for conducting this research is to give information on the relationship between “disabled” adopted persons success and family recreation. Their hypothesis was that there would be a positive correlation between the families’ success and their involvement in both core and balance recreation.

            The authors then wrote into the article a brief explanation of the Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning. The Core and Balance Model was discussed in relation to other models of leisure, how it was similar and combined some previous models. It was explained that “Core” leisure activities are activities that family engage in often, are not usually costly, don’t require much planning, and are often home-based. “Balance” leisure activities are all activities that are less frequent, are usually anticipated and planned for longer, can be more costly, and often occur away from the home.

            The methods of the study were then explained, the study was done through a mailed survey to the homes of families who have adopted children of color. The survey was intended to be filled out by one parent, and one child in the family between the ages of 11 and 14. The questions asked about the demographics of the individuals, as well as their family’s participation in various types of recreation (Core and Balance) and their feelings about their family’s cohesion and adaptability.

            The study found that parent age, both core and balance leisure activities, and total leisure  were positively correlated with family functioning. The stated hypotheses were supported, but it was found that core leisure activities were more important among the youth and family in families with adopted children of color. It was also found in the study that family leisure involvement was the strongest predictor of family functioning, trumping any socio-demographic trends.

            The article concludes by naming some ways that the findings of this research can be used by practicing recreational therapists which will be discussed later in this analysis, and by giving suggestions for further research.

Strengths

            I will now discuss some of the strengths that I saw in this article and in this study. The first strength that I noticed was the background information provided was perfect to both inform the reader of the context in which this study was being informed, as well as provide the reader with a convincing explanation of why the study should be done.

The next strength that I noticed was that the study performed was focused on families that have adopted children of color, a population that has a high likelihood of being in therapy. Because of this target population, it can be implied that therapeutic recreation can be used as a modality to treat individuals who fit these criteria. The study shows that family leisure activities have powerful effects upon family cohesion and adaptability, regardless of race, or other demographics.

Weaknesses

I will now discuss some of the weaknesses of this study. The first weakness is that the method of gathering data for the study allowed for a certain amount of sampling bias. The surveys were handed out through the mail, and only a small portion of those sent were received back. It seems likely that families who are less than proud of their family’s recreation and leisure patterns might not be comfortable completing and returning the survey. This would lead to a disproportionate amount of responses from families that were practicing good recreation with their families, while other well-functioning families didn’t respond.

            The second weakness is one that was noted in the text of the article itself, and that is that because the research was purely correlational, there is no way to determine directionality of the factors being tested. The findings show correlations between family leisure involvement and family functioning, but these findings don’t necessarily mean that the leisure involvement led to the better family functioning. The case could in fact be that better functioning families naturally participate in more recreation together. If this was indeed the case, it would take away from the usefulness of this study in providing recreational therapy.

 Uses of This Article in Practice

The findings of this article can potentially be beneficial to Recreational Therapists in many different ways; I will discuss a few that I saw. The first one is that in the study, it was shown that family leisure involvement was a great predictor of family functioning. One of the great trials faced by any therapist nowadays is that of maintaining change in the clients that they work with. Often when clients, be they adults or youth, return from receiving treatment to their families and to their previous environments, they can slip back into their old habits largely because their home environment hasn’t changed at all. The findings of this study give therapists reason to implement family recreation education and practice into their work as a means of improving the environments their clients will be returning to.

            One important thing that was found with the sample families in this study is the importance of core leisure activities. As previously mentioned, core activities seemed to be more important than balance activities in the minds of the youth in families with adopted children of color. This both reminds therapists of the value of the everyday bonding activities in a family as well as shows us that this can be a main focus when working specifically with families who have adopted children of color. Much of family based recreational therapy that is practiced today focuses on what would be “balance” activities for a family. This study shows us that in many circumstances that it is the core leisure activities that make a big difference to the children.

Personal Reactions

            When I saw the title of this article, I knew that it would be interesting because I know one of the authors, Dr. Zabriskie, to be a very fun and interesting person. I also saw that the study focused on a particular population of families that are at a seemingly higher risk for dysfunction, this is interesting to me because I feel that it is easier to apply the findings of such research into recreational therapy, since most recreational therapists don’t usually get to work with those families that are functionally optimally or are your “typical” families. Other research is done more with families that are not facing the challenges that adopting a child with special needs brings, and therefore their findings cannot be automatically assumed to work the same way with many families in treatment.

            Another thing that really interested me about the article was it’s use of the Core and Balance Model for Family Leisure. I have been somewhat familiar with this theory in the past, but had never seen its application in research, or any proof to the validity of it, and this article provided me with plenty of both.

            Perhaps the most interesting thing that I learned in this article was the value of core activities and the possibility of teaching them as a recreational therapist. I, like probably many people think of rock climbing and mountain biking and river rafting when I think of recreational therapy, but the idea had never occurred to me to teach families how to have fun right there in their own homes. This will in no doubt affect the way that I raise my family and in my practice as a therapist one day. Things that don’t require much planning and seem to happen spontaneously in some families, actually do have a remarkable affect upon the success of that family, this article reminded me of that and that it is not outside the realm of a hired recreational therapist to teach and practice with families things that they can compute on a day-to-day basis in their own homes.

References

Zabriskie, R, Freeman, P (2003) Leisure and Family Functioning in Adoptive Families: Implications for Therapeutic Recreation. Therapeutic Recreation Journal. Retrieved from http://sfx.lib.byu.edu/sfxlcl3?genre=article;atitle=Leisure%20and%20family%20functioning%20in%20adoptive%20families%3A%20implications%20for%20therapeutic%20recreation.;sid=cabi%3Acabdirect;title=Therapeutic%20Recreation%20Journal;issn=0040-5914;pages=73-93;issue=1;volume=37;auinit=P.;date=2003;aulast=Freeman

Article Critique #4- Aquatic Therapy

Critique of Aquatic Therapy: A Viable Therapeutic Recreation Intervention

Michelle Chapman

Brigham Young University

Critique of Aquatic Therapy: A Viable Therapeutic Recreation Intervention

Article Summary

This article found, in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, details the benefits that aquatic therapy has on an individual. Results yielded from a study showed that swimming and exercise activity decreased pain, prevented bone loss, increased strength and endurance, improved pulmonary functioning, improved body image, decreased depression, and enhanced mood. The study involved assigning groups of individuals to a specific exercise regimen. For example, some people were assigned to have aquatic therapy 2 times a week for 45 minutes each, etc. After the findings of the research, details are given of how Aquatic Therapy is growing more popular and customary among insurance companies and doctors.

Article Strengths

The article was very interesting to read and was written in such a way that the average person could understand the premise. Instead of just focusing on one specific area that Aquatic Therapy can help, the authors list several benefits that were observed in the subjects. Listing the multiple areas gives the study more credibility and proves a stronger case for why Aquatic Therapy is beneficial to those with disabilities. It was also very obvious by the statistical facts that the research was well conducted and documented.

Another strength of the article is that it addresses not only physical benefits, but also psychological benefits which are just as crucial to those with disabilities. Some of the psychological benefits Aquatic Therapy were documented to help were things such as improving one’s socialization skills in the water, enhancing mood, and decreasing depression. The article states, “…suggested that since swimming…can facilitate deep, rhythmical and diaphragmatic breathing, which is a common element in many stresss reductions techniques, the rhythmical breathing may facilitate mood alteration” (Broach, Dattilo, 1996). As a person with a disability, these things can be just as important as learning to live with said disability.

Article Weaknesses

I didn’t find that the article had very many weaknesses. The biggest weakness is that most of the psychological aspects are not concrete. It is hard to have a steady measure of one’s happiness, for example, because every person has a different definition of happy.

Article Action

This article seems to me, like a strong call to action to have more people take advantage of the benefits of Aquatic Therapy. It is mostly informative to demonstrate to others just how wonderful it is and what it has done for some people. I think Aquatic Therapy is gradually becoming more popular, but this article is a strong advocate as to why it should be used more often. When this article was written in 1996 Aquatic Therapy was still fairly new, however, since then it has become much more common. Hopefully many people have seen this article and its findings and have decided to give Aquatic Therapy a try.

Personal Reaction

This article fascinated me for many reasons. I have taught swim lessons for about six years and in that time I have had the opportunity to work with kids with disabilities in the water. I have seen how the water sets them free and teaches them new things. In addition to that, I lifeguarded all throughout high school and I loved that I could see people roll up to the pool in a wheel chair, get into the water, and be just as mobile as any other person. There were specific water classes for people with MS and arthritis that would allow them to get exercise and relaxation without the burden of gravity. The buoyancy and warmth of the water decreased their pain and gave them a short period of relief. Further than that, as I guarded and observed these group classes, I saw a special camaraderie between the members of these classes because they were in similar situations. They would constantly chat while doing their exercises which would boost their spirits which would make them work harder which would increase their muscle movement, etc. It was a very positive chain reaction. They were also frequently encouraging each other to work through the pain and to not give up. It was really interesting to observe these classes and the impact they had on the members. It always uplifted me to see how happy the guests were and how much they loved the water.

Reading this article reminded me of how much I enjoy the water and its therapeutic aspects. While I was pondering this thought the other day, I came to the realization that I would love to use my knowledge and skills of swimming in my line of Therapeutic Recreation. I want to be able to help those with disabilities realize that they can have freedom and enjoy themselves while having many other benefits on the side. I hope to be able to do the training necessary to work with people in the water and see their life change.

References

Broach E. & Dattilo J. (1996). Aquatic Therapy: A Viable Therapeutic Recreation Intervention.

Therapeutic Recreation Journal. Retrieved from http://www.js.sagamorepub.com/trj/Aquatic-Therapy.