Occupational balance in occupational therapy students at a university

Abstract

Introduction: Entering university involves a transitional stage marked by academic, social, and personal changes. Adapting to this new environment requires not only meeting academic demands but also managing emotions, interpersonal relationships, and self-care, factors that may influence wellbeing, academic success, and occupational balance. Objective: To describe the occupational balance of occupational therapy students at a university in Cali, Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 185 occupational therapy students. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the OBQ-E. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages, while numerical variables were presented as means and standard deviations. Student’s t-test and ANOVA were used to compare means between groups, considering p < 0.05 statistically significant. Results: Most participants were women (76.76%), aged between 18 and 20 years, predominantly from urban areas and belonging to socioeconomic strata 2 and 3. The mean occupational balance score was 39.82. Conclusions: Students perceived a moderate level of occupational balance, engaging in meaningful and desired activities. However, they reported difficulties regarding the time available to perform mandatory activities, maintaining a balance between energy-giving and energy-draining activities, and feeling satisfied with the amount of time dedicated to rest and sleep.