Occupational Balance Status among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: ASD is a growing global public health concern. Caring for children with ASD can significantly impact various aspects of a mother’s life including her occupational balance. Low occupational balance has been identified as a risk factor for stress-related disorders. Aim: The study aimed to examine the status of occupational balance among mothers of children with ASD. Methodology: This study was conducted by the quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design and purposive sampling. Data was collected through a face-to-face survey among 117 participants by using a standard questionnaire (OBQ11). Data was processed by using SPSS software 20.0 using descriptive analysis. The chi-square and fisher exact test were done to find out the association between occupational balance and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Among the 117 mothers, the median score for occupational balance was 17 (interquartile range [IQR] 11.5). 54.7% of them reported lower occupational balance and 45.3% of them reported higher occupational balance. Three sociodemographic characteristics: age of children, family status, and availability of paid help were significantly associated with the mother’s occupational balance. Conclusion: The results indicate that the majority of the mothers had low occupational balance that may negatively impact for caring of children with ASD. Occupational therapists need to focus on occupational balance to improve the mother’s occupational balance. Keywords: Occupational balance, mothers of children with ASD.