Search

Introduction: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome affects an individual's occupational participation. There is little understanding in Australia of occupational interventions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. This study explored how Australian adults with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome use their time and whether the National Institute of Health Activity Record can inform occupational interventions. Method: Using a convergent mixed method, nine participants completed the National Institute of Health Activity Record time diary and five survey questions exploring clinical utility and the impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Data analysis included descriptive statistics for time-use data and an inductive thematic analysis for survey responses. Results/Findings: Participants (aged 29–59 years) reported 58% of their time was spent awake and in recreation and leisure occupations. Quantitative data reflected no statistically significant change in participants' symptoms, performance and motivation throughout the day. Six themes emerged from the qualitative data that highlighted participants' experiences completing the National Institute of Health Activity Record and the impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome on their time-use. Conclusion and Relevance: The National Institute of Health Activity Record provided insights into a participant's time-use, which could inform occupational interventions. Modifying the National Institute of Health Activity Record format would improve usability for participants and reduce time for completion. Discussing results and extending the data collection period may capture the impact and fluctuations of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the social connectedness literature by exploring the range of social interactions that people experience on a daily basis using time diary data. First, we investigate the different types of people whom individuals encounter in everyday life (i.e., family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, others). Quantifying the degree of this social exposure provides insight into potential sources of support, information, comparison, and control. It further allows us to capture certain types of social connections that are commonly missed in traditional social network questionnaires. Second, we examine how social context fosters interactions between different types of people. Upon analyzing data from the American Time Use Survey, we find that a majority of respondents (69%) engaged in at least one interaction with a non-household member in a 24-hour period. We also found that interactions with different types of people varied according to social context. Interactions with friends, acquaintances, and "others" were significantly more likely to occur in public contexts rather than private or professional contexts. Collectively, our findings highlight the prevalence of social exposure among the American population as well as the important role of social context in making these interactions possible. • Uses time diary data to assess social connectedness in everyday life. • Quantifies number of social interactions people experience in day. • Examines how interactions with different types of people are contextually patterned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Caregivers report limited freedom to engage with others, participate in physical activities, pursue leisure activities, and sleep. Few studies have focused on caregivers' time use across different activities, particularly how different patterns of time use are associated with well-being. This study aimed to (a) identify time-use profiles of family caregivers of older adults and (b) examine associations between identified time-use profiles and caregiver well-being. Methods We analyzed data from 1,640 family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults from Round 7 (2017) of the National Study of Caregiving and the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Latent profile analysis was used to estimate time-use profiles based on 4 indicators (i.e. regenerative time, discretionary time, eldercare-related committed time, non-eldercare committed time). We conducted regressions to examine the relationship between the latent profiles and well-being outcomes. Results Three profiles of caregivers emerged based on time-use patterns. The Overloaded profile (20%) spent the greatest time in non-eldercare committed activities, such as household activities and paid work. The Flexible profile (49%) spent the most amount of time in social activities and physical activities, and the least amount of non-eldercare committed time compared to the other 2 caregiver types. Lastly, the Occupied profile (31%) allocated time relatively evenly in all activities. When comparing well-being outcomes, caregivers in the Flexible profile had lower levels of anxiety than the Occupied profile. Discussion The profiles acknowledge the diverse experiences of caregivers, underscoring the significance of granting them greater latitude in balancing eldercare responsibilities and personal life for enhanced well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal carers report lower evaluative wellbeing than non‐carers. In contrast to this literature and our own analysis of evaluative wellbeing, we find carers have a small but higher level of experienced wellbeing than non‐carers do. To investigate why, we use decomposition analysis which separates explanatory factors into how time is used and how those uses of time are experienced. We analyze activities and associated experienced wellbeing measured in ten‐minute intervals over two days by 4817 adults from the 2014/15 UK Time Use Survey. We use entropy balancing to compare carers with a re‐weighted counterfactual non‐carer group and then apply Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition. The experienced wellbeing gap of 0.066 is the net result of several substantial competing effects of time use. Carers experienced wellbeing would be higher by 0.188 if they had the same patterns and returns to time use as non‐carers which is driven by sleep, time stress and alternative characteristics of time use. However, leisure and non‐market activities serve to dampen this increase in experienced wellbeing. Initiatives to improve and assess carer wellbeing should pay close attention to how carers spend their time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variety of measurement methods used in fathering research to assess fathers' involvement makes it difficult to summarize what we know about paternal involvement and its correlates and antecedents. Aiming to shed light on the potential consequences of using different measures of paternal involvement, this study examined: (a) the associations among three measures of father participation in parental activities, namely self- and mother-reported questionnaires and a father-completed time diary, and (b) their respective associations with a well-documented predictor of father involvement, i.e., parenting alliance. The sample included 80 parental couples with a 6-month-old child. Although moderate associations were found among measures of father involvement, only the maternal and paternal questionnaires were associated with parenting alliance. These results suggest that time diaries and questionnaires tap into different aspects of father involvement that can have distinct correlates and determinants. Better acknowledgment of the diverging results attributable to the use of different measurement approaches of father involvement is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How infants are held or contained throughout the day shape infants' experiences, particularly around movement and exploration. In Tajikistan, caregivers use 'gahvora' cradles, which severely restrict the body and limbs. The present study explored the variability and use of containment devices in U.S. and Tajik infants. Using time diaries, we compared 12‐month‐olds in the U.S. and Tajikistan on the types of containments used and the time spent in them throughout the day. During the day, Tajik infants accumulated more time in gahvoras than infants in the U.S. spent in cribs, primarily used for sleep, suggesting gahvoras served other functions. Given the availability of other devices, U.S. infants' time was distributed in short yet frequent bouts across devices. Accumulated time in these containments matched accumulated time Tajik infants spent in gahvoras. Tajik infants accumulated more unrestricted time on the ground, which was distributed in prolonged bouts, than U.S. infants. Findings highlight differences in infants' everyday experiences during the developmental period when motor skills emerge. By embracing commonalities and exploring differences between cultures, this study offers insights into differences in infants' everyday experiences and opportunities for movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main functions of news media in democracies is informing the citizenry on day-to-day affairs. However, the way in which citizens gather news has changed as nowadays people have more opportunities than ever before to adapt their media consumption based on their preferences. One of the major game changers was the introduction of social media. This raises the question to what extent traditional media still contribute to people's knowledge of current affairs. Using a time-diary study in the Flemish media context, we investigate the influence of different forms of news consumption on current news knowledge. We conclude that traditional (print and audiovisual) media, including popular outlets, continue to be the major contributors to people's knowledge about current affairs and that social media hardly contribute at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has examined parental support for math during early childhood using parent-report surveys and observational measures of math talk. However, since most studies only present findings from one of these methods, the construct (parental support for early math) and the method are inextricably linked, and we know little about whether these methods provide similar or unique information about children’s exposure to math concepts. This study directly addresses the mono-operation bias operating in past research by collecting and comparing multiple measures of support for number and spatial skills, including math talk during semi-structured observations of parent–child interactions, parent reports on a home math activities questionnaire, and time diaries. Findings from 128 parents of 4-year-old children reveal substantial within-measure variability across all three data sources in the frequency of number and spatial activities and the type and content of parent talk about number and spatial concepts. Convergence in parental math support measures was evident among parent reports from the questionnaire and time diaries, such that scale composites about monthly number activities were related to number activities on the previous work day, and monthly spatial activities were correlated with spatial activities the prior non-work days. However, few parent report measures from the survey or time diary were significantly correlated with observed quantity or type of math talk in the semi-structured observations. Future research implications of these findings are discussed.

Informal care requires a considerable time investment from providers that inherently involves trade-offs against various uses of time. We examine what other uses of time are forgone when individuals provide informal care. We further consider how caregiving is linked to a range of rarely explored time use characteristics relating to multitasking, the fragmentation and the timing of activities. We use data from 5670 adults across 11003 diary days from the 2014/15 UK Time Use Survey. Using a 'doubly robust' approach of entropy balancing and regression adjustment, we find carers spend an additional 49.0 min on non-market work, 2.9 min on personal care, 5.8 min on leisure and 2.9 min on miscellaneous activities on weekdays. They spend 46.1 min less on market work and 14.4 min less on sleep. Carers report more time stress, more multitasking, and more fragmented time. We estimate with attribution factors that 16% and 11% of reported household task activity is due to caregiving on weekday and weekend days, respectively. These findings provide evidence on additional opportunity costs faced by carers and possible channels through which carer labour market and health outcomes are realised. The attribution factors we calculate can be applied to total reported caregiving time to avoid overestimation when this is incorporated into economic evaluations. • We estimate the relationship between informal care and various characteristics of time use • Caregiving is related to more time spent on non-market work and less on market work • Carers spend more time multitasking and have a more fragmented day than non-carers • We provide a means to adjust caregiving time reports to avoid overestimation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by research on gendered organizations and faculty careers, we examined gender differences in how research university faculty spend their work time. We used time-diary methods to understand faculty work activities at a microlevel of detail, as recorded by faculty themselves over 4 weeks. We also explored workplace interactions that shape faculty workload. Similar to past studies, we found women faculty spending more time on campus service, student advising, and teaching-related activities and men spending more time on research. We also found that women received more new work requests than men and that men and women received different kinds of work requests. We consider implications for future research and the career advancement of women faculty in research universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the time allocation of various educational activities within the structure of a typical day of Serbian secondary school students, and whether there were significant differences in this respect depending on their socio-demographic characteristics. The 24-hour time diary method was applied: the subjects described chronologically, at half-hourly intervals, their activities in one weekday an done weekend day. The research was conducted on a sample of 922 secondary school students, Structured by region, age and type of school. The analysis revealed that on weekdays students spent about 5 hours in school. In work activities outside school they spent almost 2 hours, out of which the largest part in learning (81 minutes), and significantly less in housework (23 minutes) and economically productive work (7 minutes). From a total of5 hours and22 minutes of free time, only 5 minutes were devoted to organized extracurricular activities. Significant differences were obtained with regard to students’ gender, type of school, and level of parents’ education. When these results are compared with the data from other countries, it is shown that secondary school students in Serbia, compared to the U.S., spend more time in learning, and significantly less in economically productive work and house­work, much like the youth in European countries. A very low proportion of extracurricular activities shows that school learning is almost the only context of developing educational competencies. The implications of these findings are discussed from the perspective of positive youth development. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije: Identifikacija, merenje i razvoj kognitivnih i emocionalnih kompetencija važnih društvu orijentisanom na evropske integracije]

Aim: Using national Australian time-diary data, we aimed to empirically determine sleep duration thresholds beyond which children have poorer health, learning, quality of life, and weight status and parents have poorer mental health.Methods: Design/setting: Cross-sectional data from the first three waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.Participants: A nationally representative sample of 4983 4-5-year-olds, recruited in 2004 from the Australian Medicare database and followed biennially; 3631 had analyzable sleep information and a concurrent measure of health and well-being for at least one wave.Main Measures: Exposure: At each wave, a parent completed 24-h time-use diaries for one randomly selected weekday and one weekend day, including a "sleeping/napping" category.Outcomes: Parent-reported child mental health, health-related quality of life, and maternal/paternal mental health; teacher-reported child language, literacy, mathematical thinking, and approach to learning; and assessed child body mass index and girth.Results: Linear regression analyses revealed weak, inconsistent relationships between sleep duration and outcomes at every wave. For example, children with versus without psychosocial health-related quality of life problems slept slightly less at 6-7 years (adjusted mean difference 0.12 h; 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.22, p = 0.03), but not at 4-5 (0.00; -0.10 to 0.11, p = 1.0) or 8-9 years (0.09; -0.02 to 0.22, p = 0.1). Empirical exploration using fractional polynomials demonstrated no clear thresholds for sleep duration and any adverse outcome at any wave.Conclusions: Present guidelines in terms of children's short sleep duration appear misguided. Other parameters such as sleep timing may be more meaningful for understanding optimal child sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study is to use national Australian time-diary data to examine both (1) cross-sectionally and (2) longitudinally whether being late versus early to sleep or wake is associated with poorer child behavior, quality of life, learning, cognition and weight status, and parental mental health.Methods: Design/setting: Data from the first three waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were taken.Participants: A national representative sample of 4983 4-5-year-olds, recruited in 2004 from the Australian Medicare database and followed up biennially, was taken; 3631 had analyzable sleep information and a concurrent measure of health and well-being for at least one wave.Measures: Exposure: Parents completed 24-h child time-use diaries for one week and one weekend day at each wave. Using median splits, sleep timing was categorized into early-to-sleep/early-to-wake (EE), early-to-sleep/late-to-wake (EL), late-to-sleep/early-to-wake (LE), and late-to-sleep/late-to-wake (LL) at each wave.Outcomes: The outcomes included parent-reported child behavior, health-related quality of life, maternal/paternal mental health, teacher-reported child language, literacy, mathematical thinking, and approach to learning. The study assessed child body mass index and girth.Results: (1) Using EE as the comparator, linear regression analyses revealed that being late-to-sleep was associated with poorer child quality of life from 6 to 9 years and maternal mental health at 6-7 years. There was inconsistent or no evidence for associations between sleep timing and all other outcomes. (2) Using the count of the number of times (waves) at which a child was categorized as late-to-sleep (range 0-3), longitudinal analyses demonstrated that there was a cumulative effect of late-to-sleep profiles on poorer child and maternal outcomes at the child age of 8-9 years.Conclusions: Examined cross-sectionally, sleep timing is a driver of children's quality of life and maternal depression. Examined longitudinally, there appears to be cumulative and adverse relationships between late-to-sleep profiles and poorer child and maternal outcomes at the child age of 8-9 years. Understanding how other parameters - such as scheduling consistency, sleep efficiency and hygiene - are also related to child and parent outcomes will help health professionals better target sleep management advice to families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The health, well-being and quality of life of the world's 1.2 billion adolescents are global priorities. A focus on their patterns or profiles of time-use and how these relate to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may help to enhance their well-being and address the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in adulthood. This study sought to establish whether distinct profiles of adolescent 24-h time-use exist and to examine the relationship of any identified profiles to self-reported HRQoL. Method: This cross-sectional study gathered data from a random sample of 731 adolescents (response rate 52 %) from 28 schools (response rate 76 %) across Cork city and county. A person-centred approach, latent profile analysis, was used to examine adolescent 24-h time-use and relate the identified profiles to HRQoL. Results: Three male profiles emerged, namely productive, high leisure and all- rounder. Two female profiles, higher study/lower leisure and moderate study/higher leisure, were identified. The quantitative and qualitative differences in male and female profiles support the gendered nature of adolescent time-use. No unifying trends emerged in the analysis of probable responses in the HRQoL domains across profiles. Females in the moderate study/higher leisure group were twice as likely to have above-average global HRQoL. Conclusion: Distinct time-use profiles can be identified amongst adolescents, but their relationship with HRQoL is complex. Rich mixed-method research is required to illuminate our understanding of how quantities and qualities of time-use shape lifestyle patterns and how these can enhance the HRQoL of adolescents in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Time use is a defining interest within occupational therapy and occupational science. This is evident through the range of contributions to the disciplinary knowledge base. Indeed it has been suggested that time-use methods are amongst the most established research techniques used to explore aspects of human occupation. However, the extent and nature of such activity in occupational therapy and occupational science has not been examined to date. Aim: This study sought to map the extent and nature of time-use research in occupational therapy and occupational science journals and the extent to which studies explored the relationship between time-use and health. Method: A scoping review method was used. Results: Sixty-one studies were included. Scandinavian countries contributed the largest number of studies ( n = 16, 26%). While time-use diaries were used most frequently ( n = 30, 49%) occupational therapists and occupational scientists have developed a range of data-collection instruments. Forty-nine studies (80%) focused on time-use in clinical or defined population sub-groups. Ten studies (16%) included an empirical examination of the relationship between time-use and health. Conclusion: Future research should examine time-use and health amongst well populations across the lifespan and in different parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]