Changes in flow experience among occupational therapy students: a 1-year longitudinal study

PURPOSE The purpose of this 1-year longitudinal study is to investigate the change in flow experience among occupational therapy students (OTS). METHODS In December 2012, we prospectively recruited 97 OTS from the Department of Occupational Therapy, Kibi International University. To assess flow experience in daily life, we used the Flow Experience Checklist. RESULTS The dataset included 87 OTS, of which 75 participated in the assessment at 1 year (follow-up rate, 86.2%). The mean age at baseline of 45 male and 30 female OTS was 19.59±1.1 years (range, 18 to 24 years). A comparison of the 'frequency of flow experience' showed significant differences between baseline values and those after 1 year (December 2013) among male OTS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The present results indicate that, for male OTS, the frequency of flow was significantly reduced after 1 year compared with baseline values. This finding suggests the need for further education to increase the frequency of flow among male OTS.