An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults
Purpose – Previous research has provided limited evidence on whether and how demographic factors associate with sensory processing patterns (SPP) in adults. This paper aims to examine relationships between SPPs and sociodemographic factors of age, sex, education and ethnicity in healthy adults. Desi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Emerald Publishing
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJOT-12-2018-0025/full/pdf?title=an-exploration-of-sensory-processing-patterns-and-their-association-with-demographic-factors-in-healthy-adults |
| _version_ | 1798036011475795968 |
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| author | Tawanda Machingura Gurjeet Kaur Chris Lloyd Sharon Mickan David Shum Evelyne Rathbone Heather Green |
| author_facet | Tawanda Machingura Gurjeet Kaur Chris Lloyd Sharon Mickan David Shum Evelyne Rathbone Heather Green |
| author_sort | Tawanda Machingura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – Previous research has provided limited evidence on whether and how demographic factors associate with sensory processing patterns (SPP) in adults. This paper aims to examine relationships between SPPs and sociodemographic factors of age, sex, education and ethnicity in healthy adults. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 71 adult participants was recruited from the community, using convenience sampling. Each participant completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – short version (DASS-21). Demographic information on age, sex, education and ethnicity was collected. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings – SPPs, as measured by the AASP, were significantly correlated to demographic factors of age and education after controlling for emotional distress using the DASS-21. A statistically significant multivariate effect was found across the four dependent variables (low registration, seeking, sensitivity and avoiding) for the age category, F = 6.922, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.145, in the presence of a covariate DASS. The education category showed significance only in the seeking domain (p = 0.008, ηp2 = 0.10) after controlling for DASS. There was no significant correlation between SPPs and gender or ethnicity. Results also indicated that mean scores of participants in this study were “similar to most people” as standardised in the AASP. Research limitations/implications – This was a cross-sectional study with limitations including that the study used a relatively small sample and was based on self-reported healthy participants. Practical implications – SPPs may correlate with healthy adults’ age and to a lesser extent education. This suggests that it might be helpful to consider such demographic factors when interpreting SPPs in clinical populations, although further research in larger samples is needed to reach firmer conclusions about possible implications of demographic variables. Originality/value – The findings in this paper add to the growing evidence that suggest that SPPs vary with sociodemographic factors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:06:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fdf55f3c93fd4a22bec89341a28bf088 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-8819 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:06:28Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy |
| spelling | doaj.art-fdf55f3c93fd4a22bec89341a28bf0882022-12-22T04:03:16ZengEmerald PublishingIrish Journal of Occupational Therapy2398-88192019-08-0148131610.1108/IJOT-12-2018-0025631484An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adultsTawanda Machingura0Gurjeet Kaur1Chris Lloyd2Sharon Mickan3David Shum4Evelyne Rathbone5Heather Green6Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia and Griffith University School of Applied Psychology, Southport, AustraliaBond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Gold Coast, AustraliaBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaMenzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia and Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, AustraliaMenzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Nathan, AustraliaBond University, Gold Coast, AustraliaApplied Psychology, Griffith University School of Applied Psychology, Southport, AustraliaPurpose – Previous research has provided limited evidence on whether and how demographic factors associate with sensory processing patterns (SPP) in adults. This paper aims to examine relationships between SPPs and sociodemographic factors of age, sex, education and ethnicity in healthy adults. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 71 adult participants was recruited from the community, using convenience sampling. Each participant completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – short version (DASS-21). Demographic information on age, sex, education and ethnicity was collected. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings – SPPs, as measured by the AASP, were significantly correlated to demographic factors of age and education after controlling for emotional distress using the DASS-21. A statistically significant multivariate effect was found across the four dependent variables (low registration, seeking, sensitivity and avoiding) for the age category, F = 6.922, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.145, in the presence of a covariate DASS. The education category showed significance only in the seeking domain (p = 0.008, ηp2 = 0.10) after controlling for DASS. There was no significant correlation between SPPs and gender or ethnicity. Results also indicated that mean scores of participants in this study were “similar to most people” as standardised in the AASP. Research limitations/implications – This was a cross-sectional study with limitations including that the study used a relatively small sample and was based on self-reported healthy participants. Practical implications – SPPs may correlate with healthy adults’ age and to a lesser extent education. This suggests that it might be helpful to consider such demographic factors when interpreting SPPs in clinical populations, although further research in larger samples is needed to reach firmer conclusions about possible implications of demographic variables. Originality/value – The findings in this paper add to the growing evidence that suggest that SPPs vary with sociodemographic factors.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJOT-12-2018-0025/full/pdf?title=an-exploration-of-sensory-processing-patterns-and-their-association-with-demographic-factors-in-healthy-adultssensory processinghealthy adultsagegendereducationethnicity |
| spellingShingle | Tawanda Machingura Gurjeet Kaur Chris Lloyd Sharon Mickan David Shum Evelyne Rathbone Heather Green An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy sensory processing healthy adults age gender education ethnicity |
| title | An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| title_full | An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| title_fullStr | An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| title_short | An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| title_sort | exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults |
| topic | sensory processing healthy adults age gender education ethnicity |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJOT-12-2018-0025/full/pdf?title=an-exploration-of-sensory-processing-patterns-and-their-association-with-demographic-factors-in-healthy-adults |
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