“What is the connection between engagement in occupation and health?”: Engagement in occupation and “well-beingness”
Abstract
Nested within an existential and salutogenic perspective, Dr Elizabeth Yerxa (1998) posed this key question, “What is the connection between engagement in occupation and health?” (p. 412). This paper offers a narrative review of relationships between health and well-being and engagement in occupation as measured by the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS; Goldberg et al., 2002). I summarize the relationships of engagement in occupation, health, and well-being, emphasizing EMAS psychometric properties and cross-cultural utility given its translation into at least 15 languages. Multiple approaches to studying engagement using the EMAS are presented, including feasible causal mechanisms linking engagement in occupation to health and well-being.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Occupational Therapy Practice and Research
Participatory Visual Research Methods
Workplace Health and Well-being
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Occupational Science
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 50–55
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN