Methodology for the systematic reviews on occupation- and activity-based intervention related to productive aging

• Published in: The American journal of occupational therapy Vol. 66; no. 3; pp. 271 - 276
• Main Authors: Arbesman, Marian, Lieberman, Deborah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Occupational Therapy Association 01.05.2012; American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ageing; Aging; Community living; Control Groups; Elderly people; Evidence-based medicine; Evidence-based practice; Humans; Intervention; Literature Reviews; Methodology; Methods; Occupational therapists; Occupational Therapy; Older people; Powers and duties; Practice; Quality of Life; Residential Facilities; Review Literature as Topic; Systematic review; Teachers; United States
• ISSN: 0272-9490; 1943-7676
• DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2012.003699

Systematic reviews of the literature relevant to community-dwelling older adults are important to the practice of occupational therapy. We describe the four questions that served as the focus for the systematic reviews of the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for older adults living in the community. This article includes the background for the reviews; the process followed for each question, including search terms and search strategy; the databases searched; and the methods used to summarize and critically appraise the literature. The final number of articles included in each systematic review; a summary of the results; the strengths and limitations of the findings; and implications for practice, education, and research are presented.