Strategies of adapting and replacing artistic leisure occupations to maintain participation and identity: A qualitative study of women with arthritis

Abstract

This qualitative study explored older women's qualitative accounts regarding their strategies for maintaining or adapting their participation in visual art-making in the context of arthritis. Ten participants were interviewed, aged 62-81 years, all having lived with arthritis for at least 7 years. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified four convergent themes. Participants described adapting their strategies of art-making in ways that maintained the aesthetic quality of their artwork while also accommodating their arthritis. They described devising more accessible creative spaces. Planning, design, and anticipating new creative activities enhanced choice and control during flares in symptoms. Positive attitudes toward self-managing illness informed the practical adaptations described.