Exploring occupational therapists' use of movement guidelines for young children with disabilities

Background. Children with developmental disabilities are less likely than their peers without disabilities to meet the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines which provide daily recommendations for time spent in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Occupational Therapists (OTs) are well-positioned to support the engagement of preschoolers with developmental disabilities in movement but little is known about if, and how, they might use these guidelines. Purpose. This study examined knowledge, awareness, and guideline-, client-, and environment-related factors influencing the use of the guidelines by OTs working with children (aged 3-4 years) with developmental disabilities. The secondary purpose was to explore relationships between these factors and OT education and experience. Method. The validated Clinician Guideline Determinants Questionnaire (n = 51 items) was administered via Qualtrics to a sample of Canadian pediatric OTs. Descriptive statistics were employed. Findings. Participants (n = 28 OTs) reported moderate to high agreement with the guidelines varying by movement type. Participants agreed they possessed the skills, knowledge, and external support to use the recommendations in practice but were less likely to agree with having training, implementation tools, and self-efficacy to implement the guidelines. Conclusion. Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines hold potential for use by OTs, but capacity-building is required to support implementation.