Document Type (Journals)
Original Research
Abstract
Occupational therapy students face professional and personal financial literacy challenges. Professionally, financial management has been identified as an instrumental activity of daily living, and recent research has examined how occupational therapy has helped clients with these skills. Personally, occupational therapy students may face higher debt levels due to degree escalation and economic changes. The study aimed to determine the level of understanding of financial literacy among matriculating occupational therapy students in a combined baccalaureate and entry-level master’s program. Nineteen occupational therapy students completed a virtual survey distributed through Google Forms. The survey included demographic questions, the Financial Self-Efficacy Scale (FSES), and a 16-question survey about financial habits and knowledge from open-sourced questions. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS version 29. Results showed that most students had a general understanding of financial literacy, but they could not correctly apply the concepts to real-life questions. The overall mean for the FSES was 13.05 (SD = 4.28). For financial habits, most students reported they did not have an emergency fund or a budget but had checked their credit scores. Most students responded incorrectly or were unsure about most financial knowledge questions. No one answered all the financial knowledge questions correctly. Financial literacy is needed in occupational therapy education to prepare students to transition with skills that will benefit clients and themselves.
Biography
Joanne Gallagher Worthley, EdD, OTR is a Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Worcester State University. Her scholarly interests include accessibility, user perspectives and the use of visual thinking strategies.
Sarah DiMeo, PhD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Department at Worcester State University. Prior to teaching, she practiced for 20 years in pediatrics, including private and public schools, and private practice.
Tanya Trudell, EdD, OTR/L, C/NDT is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Occupational Therapy Department at Worcester State University. She possesses over fifteen years of experience as a registered occupational therapist in an acute rehabilitation hospital setting with a passion for working with clients with neurological conditions.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Gallagher Worthley, J., DiMeo, S., & Trudell, T. (2025). Financial Literacy Among Occupational Therapy Students: A Survey Study. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 9 (3). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2025.090304
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