Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an educational session on cardiovascular disease (CVD) history, prevalence, signs, symptoms, and risk factors in women affects physical therapists’ (PTs) and physical therapist assistants’ (PTAs) knowledge of CVD and attitudes toward CV screening and patient education and whether it would affect professionals’ willingness to perform these tasks. Methods: Licensed PTs and PTAs with at least one year of experience were included in the study and attended a single educational session of 1.5 hours during a live conference. A modified version of the Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire was used for the pre-session and post-session surveys, with eight domains included. A total of 18 matched data sets qualified for analysis. Results: Analysis indicated that all domains improved following the educational session, with six of eight having statistically significant change. A predictive behavior model using hierarchical regression analysis and the Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivation-Behavior Model, was not possible due to the low sample size; however, Beliefs about Consequences demonstrated the most significance when considering behavior change. Conclusion: The study indicated that knowledge and attitudes both improved following an educational session. It supports the need for continuing education opportunities for professionals on cardiovascular health and preventive education topics to stimulate the involvement of the profession in these health arenas. Although limited in power, it also indicates that education sessions that include consequences of professional actions and involvement could be very impactful for behavior change.
Keywords: cardiovascular disease, women, physical therapy, education, screening, knowledge, attitudes.