Characterization and complains related to occupational performance: considerations of people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit characteristic sequelae, such as fatigue, weakness, and impaired
balance which might be harmful to the performance of activities. The study aimed to identify activities considered important to people with MS related to their occupational performance, analyze their limitations to accomplish them, and check their satisfaction on how to execute them. This is an exploratory and descriptive study conducted with 21 people with MS that attended a university hospital. The degree of performance and satisfaction with it was
measured by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the results were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The majority of the 104 identifi ed activities was classifi ed as “self-care” (e.g., walking on street, going up/go stairs), “leisure” (e.g., playing sports, visiting friends and relatives) and “productivity” (e.g., cleaning and working outside house). The study identifi ed the constraints individuals with MS have to perform activities and the degree of satisfaction to do them.