Introduction: The literature from multiple countries notes that the health of immigrants declines over time due to various socioeconomic factors. It is imperative for healthcare practitioners, including occupational therapists, to identify ways to support overall immigrant health and wellbeing. A long-standing assumption within occupational therapy is that participation in leisure activities supports health and wellbeing. Despite occupational therapists having support of engagement in meaningful occupations, including leisure, as a clinical focus, there is limited literature on this topic in relation to immigrant populations.
Objectives: Identify and synthesize current interdisciplinary literature on adult immigrant participation in leisure activities.
Methods: This scoping review followed the 5-stage protocol outlined by Arksey & O’Malley (2005) and Joanna Briggs Institute protocol. The electronic databases CINAHL, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline and Scopus were searched. Peer reviewed articles from January 2014 – December 2024 written in English were selected.
Results: 1097 title/ abstracts and 123 full text articles were screened for eligibility. 19 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results will be presented on article characteristics, population demographics (ex. age, gender, time since migration), study design, study methods and type of leisure activity.
Contribution to the occupational therapy profession: This scoping review confirms that occupational therapy practice has yet to explore how the profession can support newcomers with leisure participation. This is an important direction for the profession as populations around the world diversify with migration, and occupational therapists look for strategies to support immigrant health and wellbeing.