Body awareness and occupational adaptation in recyclers

Abstract

This research was conducted at a recycling company in Pamplona, Norte de Santander. Its main objective was to determine the influence of body awareness on the occupational adaptation of recyclers in Pamplona through a quantitative study, promoting efficiency in the performance of occupational tasks. The theoretical framework was based on theories from the discipline of occupational therapy, recognizing that adaptation depends on the individual’s ability to adjust to environmental demands and that performance occurs as a result of the interaction between the person, their contexts, and the tasks they perform. A descriptive quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design was used. The instruments applied were a sociodemographic questionnaire, the MAIA-II for body awareness, and the OPHI-II for occupational adaptation. The data were processed using SPSS version 23. The results showed that high perceptual dimensions (Perception and Emotional Awareness at the ninetieth percentile) do not exert a protective influence on occupational adaptation. Conversely, low regulatory dimensions (Avoiding Distractions, Attention Regulation, and Body Listening at the fortieth percentile) exert a significant negative influence on occupational identity and competence. The Emotional Awareness subscale showed a significant association with problems in Occupational Identity, with an odds ratio equal to four point zero and a ninety-five percent confidence interval ranging from one point zero two to fifteen point nine three, and a p value lower than zero point zero five. For Occupational Competence, two subscales showed significant associations: Emotional Awareness, with an odds ratio of twenty-eight point seventy-five, and Avoiding Distractions, with an odds ratio of zero point one three four. In the Occupational Context scale, the pattern was identical to that observed in Occupational Competence, since the same contingencies underlie the work environment. Across the three scales, odds ratios greater than four point zero and statistical significance were observed in all cases. It is concluded that body awareness exerts a paradoxical influence on occupational adaptation. In contexts of extreme precarity, high interoceptive perception without self-care actions intensifies the conflict between bodily needs and work demands.