Human occupation and activity in occupational therapy: scoping review in the national literature

Abstract

Introduction: Human occupations and activities are central themes in occupational therapy studies and interventions in Brazil, although there is no consensus on the use of these terms in the country. Objective: This research aimed to analyze part of the national scientific production of occupational therapy about the use of the terms of occupation and activity. Method: A scoping review of the literature was carried out between 1980 and 2017, using SciELO.br and the Brazilian journals of occupational therapy, using the keyword 'occupational therapy' associated with the words 'activity', 'occupation', and 'occupational performance'. The sample consisted of 155 articles, the first one being published in 2002. Results: The publications relate to eight fields or areas of occupational therapy and cover 95 different topics. The term “activity” was used in 128 articles, in 22 “occupation and activity” and only 5 used “occupation”. The term “activity” was defined as an instrument of the profession or related to the action of the subjects. The term “occupation” was defined as fundamental for the organization of human life considering that the activities are part of human occupations. Regarding the theoretical perspectives, the studies that used the “activity” present several theories or theoretical and methodological constructions. Those who have adopted “occupation” and “activity and occupation” refer to specific theoretical models. Conclusion: With this review, we verified that the terms present theoretical meanings and perspectives that accompany the plurality intrinsic to the profession and are based on historical partner constructions.