Participatory Methods to Develop Health Education for PW-SCI: Perspectives on Occupational Justice

Abstract

Background. Many people with spinal cord injury (PW-SCI) in the Gaza Strip in Palestine are discharged from inpatient rehabilitation with limitations in their ability to meet basic needs, and reach their full potential. There is limited evidence of how clinicians can promote occupational justice for PW-SCI. Purpose. To describe participants’ perspectives revealed during a participatory action research (PAR) process used to develop an education manual for PW-SCI in Gaza, using Participatory Occupational Justice as a lens. Methods. Following ethical approval, a four-step PAR design was utilized by eight researchers to co-construct the Spinal Cord Injury Activities of Daily Living—education Manual with 54 participants from SCI rehabilitation settings in Gaza. Qualitative data from eight focus groups were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings. Two main themes were evident in the participants’ viewpoints: Enabling occupational justice and Removing barriers to occupational justice. Implications. Occupational justice is a central value that needs to be considered when developing occupational therapy educational interventions for this client group. PW-SCI health education may facilitate occupational justice in practical and culturally relevant ways when participatory methods are used to develop educational resources.