OT students present research at international food studies conference
A group of students in the University of New England’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.) program recently had their work featured in an international food studies conference, a rare but unique forum for research in the field of occupational therapy (OT).
A research study by M.S.O.T. Class of 2022 students McKenna Bender, Dorothy Enomoto, Sarah Titcomb, Sage McKinney, Mary Ryan, and Lula Sargent — under the mentorship of Kris Winston, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, program director of occupational therapy at UNE — was accepted to the 11th annual International Conference on Food Studies, the annual conference of the Food Studies Research Network.
This year’s conference explored three themes: food production and sustainability; food, nutrition, and health; and food politics, policies, and cultures. The event was hosted by the Danish School of Education at Aarhus University in Copenhagen, Denmark, from Oct. 28 to 30, with Bender, Titcomb, Enomoto, and Winston presenting their research via video.
The research project, “Mealtime Experiences for Occupational Therapy Graduate Students,” is a photo elicitation study with an ethnographic lens that explores themes related to the students’ individual perceptions during their daily mealtime occupations. For this study, the students acted as both researchers and study participants.
Each of the students took five to six photos they felt best represented their mealtime experiences. Participants interviewed each other about their photo sets before coding their photos and interviews for themes.
Overall, the group identified five themes through the coding process:
- “It’s all about emotional eating,” which explored both the negative and positive feelings experienced by the participants when eating
- “It’s not just about where you eat, but who you eat with,” describing the roles others play in mealtime occupations and the social aspects of eating
- “It takes a village,” which examines the mechanics of mealtimes, including food preparation
- “Mealtime is a sensational experience,” which encompasses sensory understandings of food like taste, color, texture, and appearance
- “Taking a trip down savory lane,” which assesses the purpose and function of the mealtime, self-image, memories, and culture
“These themes really demonstrate that the mealtime is an occupation, and it’s one we don’t dive into very much,” said Bender. “However, the mealtime is very individualized and includes a lot of specific and personal behaviors.”
Occupations are generally defined as the intentional and routine activities in which people engage in daily life, such as eating and feeding, dressing, toileting, self-care, work, play, and leisure.
Food studies — the study of the social, economic, political, and environmental factors that affect the food system — is a relatively new venue for occupational therapy representation, Winston said.
“I am encouraged by the opportunity to represent UNE and the work we do around people’s engagement with food and mealtime experiences, how people engage around food, the social significance of food and mealtimes, and how people find meaning around food and mealtimes,” she remarked.
Representation at the Copenhagen conference, Titcomb said, was a great opportunity to advocate for the occupational therapy profession.
“Advocacy is a huge part of our work as occupational therapists, and it’s nice to open the door for people to understand our profession,” she commented. “This was a great time to advocate for ourselves and learn from others about how our work relates to others in different professions.”