Background and Purpose: Several studies have looked at the personal health habits and role modeling attitudes of physical therapists (PTs), student physical therapists (SPTs), and physical therapist assistants (PTAs). No studies have examined the health habits and role-modeling attitudes in student physical therapist assistants (SPTAs). No studies were found that examined STPAs' expectations for recommending healthy lifestyle changes to their future patients. Methods: A national sample of 335 SPTAs completed a questionnaire containing three surveys: a self developed survey on Expectations for recommending healthy lifestyle changes to patients (Expectations), the Role-Modeling Attitudes Questionnaire (RM), and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII). The questions gathered data on the expectations of making healthy lifestyle changes to patients, personal health habits, and beliefs of the importance of role modeling healthy behaviors to patients. Results were analyzed using Chi-square test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression, and examination of co-linearity between variables. Results: After removing questionnaires with incomplete data, the response rate was 29.7% (n=335). Most SPTAs perceived they will often or routinely educate their patients on meeting physical activity guidelines (76.4%), maintaining healthy weight (78.6%), and decreasing or stopping the use of tobacco products (77.9%). The majority of SPTAs agreed role modeling is a powerful teaching tool (95.5%), that physical therapy professionals should practice what they preach (95.2%). SPTAs also perceived that it is important for physical therapy professionals to perform and role model performing: the CDC recommended amounts of physical activity (perform: 92.2%; role model: 91.9%), maintain healthy weight (perform: 91.8%; role model: 91.9%), and abstain from smoking (perform: 94.3%; role model: 93.4%). Educating patients on the importance of exercise was correlated with perceived importance of performing regular physical exercise (?=0.39), role modeling regular physical exercise (?=0.46), and HPLPII physical activity subscore (?=0.42). The expectation of educating patients on the importance of maintaining healthy weight was strongly correlated with the importance of physical therapy professionals role modeling maintaining a healthy weight (?=0.37) and had a moderately strong correlation with maintaining healthy weight (?=0.44). The importance of educating patients on a healthy diet was strongly correlated with eating and role modeling eating five servings of fruit and vegetables (respectively, ?=0.41, ?=0.49) and the HPLPII Nutrition sub-score (?=0.46). Conclusion: Most SPTAs participate in healthy behaviors, feel that role modeling healthy behaviors is an important component of being a physical therapy provider, and that they should recommend healthy behavior changes to patients. However, the rate at which they perceive they will recommend healthy lifestyle changes to patients and their role modeling attitudes differ depending on the topic with stronger beliefs in the need to role model and educate patients on the topics of physical activity, weight, and diet. Current research is demonstrating that healthy behaviors are strongly associated with decreasing costly medical care, personal health habits of providers correlate to the health habit recommendations made to patients, and patients are more likely to follow the recommendations a provider makes when the provider role models healthy behaviors. Physical therapy providers are positioned to positively influence the health habits of their patients and potentially have a positive impact on overall public health.

Creator

• Miller, Dawn

Contributors

• Hancher-Rauch, Heidi L.

Publisher

• University of Indianapolis

Language

• en

Identifier

• Miller, Dawn Final DP Manuscript 3.12.18.pdf

Keyword

• Health Sciences

• Quantitative

Date created

• 2018

Rights statement

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/