Environmental Advocacy as an Occupation: Perceived Self-Efficacy and Occupational Justice in Community Programming.

Background: Current occupational therapy literature demonstrates a gap in knowledge of environmental advocacy as an occupation, which directly impacts occupational justice in those experiencing environmental racism or discrimination. This study's purpose was to provide foundational information on th...

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Published in:Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT) Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 1 - 22
Main Authors: Sims, Emma, VanPuymbrouck, Laura H.
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Open Journal of Occupational Therapy Summer2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Summer2025
      vid: 13
      iid: 3
      pid: 94241
      pub: Open Journal of Occupational Therapy
      place: Kalamazoo, Michigan
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        187304886
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        10.15453/2168-6408.2352
        187304886
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        atl: Environmental Advocacy as an Occupation: Perceived Self-Efficacy and Occupational Justice in Community Programming.
      aug:
        au:
          Sims, Emma
          VanPuymbrouck, Laura H.
        affil: Rush University - USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Environmental Justice
          Occupational Justice
          Life Experiences
          Self-Efficacy
          Community Programs
          Human
          Qualitative Studies
          Focus Groups
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Thematic Analysis
          Empowerment
          Environmental Sustainability
          Motivation
          Occupational Therapy Practice
          Scope of Practice
          Environmental Health
          Descriptive Research
          Purposive Sample
          Snowball Sample
          African Americans
          Asian Americans
          Hispanic Americans
          White Persons
      ab: Background: Current occupational therapy literature demonstrates a gap in knowledge of environmental advocacy as an occupation, which directly impacts occupational justice in those experiencing environmental racism or discrimination. This study's purpose was to provide foundational information on the importance of advocacy work in the sphere of environmental and occupational justice through the lived experiences of those directly involved in community environmental advocacy. Method: Qualitative data was collected via three focus groups using semi-structured interviews focused on perceptions of participant experiences in environmental advocacy occupations. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes relating to research questions. Results: When exploring the meaning of environmental advocacy participation, four themes emerged: Education, Community Engagement, Empowerment, and Sustainability. Perceived facilitators to environmental advocacy participation resulted in three themes: Community Input, Consistency, and Intrinsic Motivation. Three themes emerged from perceived barriers to participation: Structural Inequities, Limited Community Involvement, and Overwhelmed. Conclusions: Participation in environmental justice advocacy is an occupation conceptualized as a cyclical series of actions, ultimately resulting in empowerment and sustained occupational participation. Such results implicate an emerging area of occupational therapy practice that is both within the professional scope of practice and effective in providing opportunities to increase occupational justice and life satisfaction.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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