Factors Associated with the Satisfaction of Participation in Daily Activities for Adults with Class III Obesity

There are no guidelines in the obesity or occupational therapy literature to address how participation in occupations of everyday living should be maintained or improved for individuals with obesity. Achieving this goal requires an understanding of the factors associated with participation in daily living activities for this group. To address this, the authors administered a cross-sectional survey that included the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite, the Medical Outcomes Survey Social Support Survey, and the satisfaction with participation scale to 140 adults with a mean body mass index of 48.5 kg/m. Multivariate regression analysis resulted in a model containing social support and disability status, which predicted 35% of the variance in satisfaction with participation. Disability status was the strongest predictor of satisfaction with participation and, therefore, interventions that aim to reduce the disability experienced by individuals with obesity have the potential to affect participation in everyday activities.