“What is the connection between engagement in occupation and health?”: Engagement in occupation and “well-beingness”

ABSTRACT Nested within an existential and salutogenic perspective, Dr Elizabeth Yerxa (1998) posed this key question, “What is the connection between engagement in occupation and health?” (p. 412). This paper offers a narrative review of relationships between health and well-being and engagement in occupation as measured by the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS; Goldberg et al., 2002). I summarize the relationships of engagement in occupation, health, and well-being, emphasizing EMAS psychometric properties and cross-cultural utility given its translation into at least 15 languages. Multiple approaches to studying engagement using the EMAS are presented, including feasible causal mechanisms linking engagement in occupation to health and well-being.