Testing the applicability of the Parenting Occupations and Purposes Framework in an Irish context.

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the form, function, and meaning of occupations is essential for effective occupational therapy practice. Parenting is widely recognised as a meaningful and valued occupation. The Parenting Occupations and Purposes (POP) Framework conceptualises parenting occupations and their underlying purposes, but its validity in real-world contexts has not been tested. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the POP Framework among parents in Ireland.

METHODS

An exploratory descriptive design using Experience Sampling Methodology captured real-time data on parenting occupations and purposes via the Participation In Everyday Life mobile application. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as deductive and inductive content analysis to assess the framework's applicability to the sample.

CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Collaboration with the POP Framework developers ensured accurate application of its concepts. Partnership with the developer of the Participation In Everyday Life mobile application supported correct setup and usability.

RESULTS

Forty-four parents completed 1150 surveys over 7 days. All categories in the POP Framework were represented. The most frequent occupation was attending to the child's basic needs (223 occurrences) while seeking help appeared only once. Among purposes, having the child's basic needs met dominated (571 occurrences), whereas purposes related to continuous parental development were least frequent. New examples of occupations emerged, including faith-based activities, purchasing discretionary goods, and technology-mediated monitoring (e.g., texting a spouse to check on a child), suggesting areas for framework expansion.

CONCLUSION

Findings support the validity of the POP Framework in a real-world context while highlighting opportunities for refinement to capture cultural and technological dimensions of parenting. Enhancing the framework may improve understanding of parenting occupations and inform more comprehensive occupational therapy services for parents.