Occupational Therapy, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. Present address: Pitseng Ha Tau, PO Box 57, Leribe, Lesotho
Occupational Therapy, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Rural Remote Health. 2021 Apr;21(2):6274. doi: 10.22605/RRH6274. Epub 2021 Apr 23.
Adolescents require opportunities to engage in occupations and need to have the requisite aptitude and agency to choose the occupations they want or need to engage in. Occupations are defined as the everyday activities that people choose to engage in individually or as groups that bring meaning and purpose to their lives. These occupations can be chosen or enforced. There is a paucity of literature around the occupations that adolescents in rural contexts choose and the meaning underlying their choices. This study explored the occupations of school-going adolescents of Pitseng, Lesotho, to gain insight into adolescent behaviour, and the strategies needed to develop sustainable health promotion programs for adolescents in this area.
A descriptive qualitative research design was used. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 47 adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years from three high schools in Pitseng, Leribe district, Lesotho. Data was collected using focus group interviews after consent was obtained from the parents or caregivers and assent from the adolescents. Data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's method.
Three main themes emerged from the study: realities of customary rural life, facilitators of occupational engagement, and wellbeing versus risky behaviour. Participation in daily routine occupations, cultural norming, resource scarcity, school milieu and leisure engagement were subthemes derived under the first theme. The subthemes identified under the theme facilitators of occupational engagement were intrinsic motivation, and vicarious modelling and peer support. The third theme encompassed the conceptualisation of wellbeing and risky behaviour as subthemes. The adolescents were found to engage in risky behaviour to escape the monotony in their daily lives. This could be attributed to them having fewer choices for recreational activities during their free time. Some adolescents were able to improvise and attempted to enjoy their lives with fewer occupational choices. The natural environment, coupled with creativity, facilitated the engagement of adolescents in fun activities.
The dominant influences relating to the adolescents' occupational choices and participation in activities were the impoverished rural context and the traditional inherited practices. The protracted timeframes for completing basic activities and household responsibilities and the scarcity of resources for leisure led to a restricted range of leisure activities. The traditional cultural context influenced gender-based differences in the manifestation of occupations. Despite the challenges, the adolescents showed resilience, creativity and a strong desire to improve their futures. Moreover, in this culturally steeped environment, the school and the community chief may be the two best entry points for organisations planning to facilitate health promotion programs. They are recognised and sanctioned power bases in rural communities. Recommendations for education, leisure, health promotion and further study were made for Pitseng.
青少年需要有机会参与各种职业活动，并且需要具备选择自己想要或需要从事的职业的能力和意愿。职业是指人们个人或作为群体选择从事的日常活动，这些活动给他们的生活带来了意义和目的。这些职业可以是选择的，也可以是被迫的。关于农村背景下青少年选择的职业以及他们选择背后的意义，相关文献很少。本研究探讨了皮滕斯（Pitseng）上学青少年的职业情况，以深入了解青少年的行为，并为该地区青少年制定可持续的健康促进计划提供策略。
本研究采用描述性定性研究设计。通过目的抽样，从莱里贝区皮滕斯的三所高中招募了 47 名 13 至 15 岁的青少年。在获得父母或监护人的同意和青少年的同意后，使用焦点小组访谈收集数据。使用 Braun 和 Clarke 的方法对数据进行主题分析。
研究得出了三个主要主题：农村现实生活的现实、职业参与的促进因素以及幸福感与危险行为。日常常规职业参与、文化规范、资源稀缺、学校环境和休闲参与是第一个主题下的子主题。主题促进职业参与下的子主题是内在动机、替代模式和同伴支持。第三个主题包括将幸福感和危险行为概念化为子主题。研究发现，青少年为了逃避日常生活的单调而从事危险行为。这可能是因为他们在空闲时间进行娱乐活动的选择较少。一些青少年能够即兴发挥，并试图在较少的职业选择中享受生活。自然环境加上创造力，促进了青少年参与有趣的活动。
影响青少年职业选择和活动参与的主要因素是贫困的农村环境和传统的继承习俗。完成基本活动和家务责任的时间较长，休闲资源稀缺，导致休闲活动的范围有限。传统文化背景影响了性别差异在职业表现上的差异。尽管存在挑战，但青少年表现出了韧性、创造力和改善未来的强烈愿望。此外，在这种文化底蕴深厚的环境中，学校和社区酋长可能是计划促进健康促进计划的组织的两个最佳切入点。他们是农村社区公认的合法权力基础。为皮滕斯提出了教育、休闲、健康促进和进一步研究的建议。
