Australian adults expect physiotherapists to provide physical activity advice: a survey

Abstract

Questions: Do Australian adults think that physiotherapists are likely to provide physical activity (PA) advice, general health advice, and physical interventions? Do Australian adults think it is important for physiotherapists to provide each of these services? What factors are associated with adults’ expectations of receiving these services from physiotherapists? Design: Online nationwide cross-sectional survey. Participants: Australian adults aged < 18 years who have or have not had a physiotherapy appointment before. Outcome measures: The survey instrument included questions asking respondents if it was both important and likely that a physiotherapist would provide services pertaining to PA and general health-related advice as well as physical interventions. Responses were measured on a 6-point Likert scale. Results: Full responses were obtained from 587 respondents. Most respondents reported that it is likely (40%) or extremely likely (29%) and important (47%) or extremely important (29%) that a physiotherapist provides advice to help them increase their PA levels. This was similar to the percentage of respondents reporting that it is likely (46%) or extremely likely (19%) and important (43%) or extremely important (24%) that a physiotherapist provides advice to help them improve their general health. A similar number of respondents also reported that it is likely (37%) or extremely likely (29%) and important (42%) or extremely important (26%) that a physiotherapist provides massage. The odds of respondents expecting physiotherapists to provide PA advice were higher for those who were older (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5), chose to see a physiotherapist to feel better and receive a home exercise program (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.9), and felt that physiotherapists met their expectations (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.2 to 9.3). Conclusion: Australian adults believe it is likely and important that physiotherapists provide PA and general health advice in addition to specific physical interventions.