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ScholarWorks > HHS > OT > OJOT > Vol. 3 > Iss. 3 (2015)

 

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Eric J. Hwang, PhD., OTR/L
Terry Peralta-Catipon, PhD, OTR/L

Abstract

Growing interest in promoting healthy lifestyles as a way to enhance successful aging has led to the necessity of screening and monitoring lifestyle behaviors among older adults. The 56-item Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP) and its screening version, the 15-item HELP-Screener are a set of instruments designed for assessing various health-related lifestyle behaviors in older adults, including exercise, diet, social and productive activities, leisure, activities of daily living, stress management and spiritual participation, and other health promotion and risk behaviors. This article depicts the critical features (e.g., administration and scoring) and clinical usefulness of the two instruments and reviews the literature that supports the instruments' psychometric properties (e.g., reliability and validity). Two case studies are also provided for exemplifying the clinical application of the tools. Occupational therapists can use the brief HELP-Screener for determining clients' need for further evaluation with the 56-item HELP wherein scrutiny of diverse lifestyle behaviors and consultation of possible health-promoting strategies can take place.

Comments

Eric J. Hwang, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 East Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747. ehwang@csudh.edu

Terry Peralta-Catipon, PhD, OTR/L, Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, California State University, Dominguez Hills. tperalta@csudh.edu

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