Evaluating Rehabilitation Student Attitudes Toward Health Promotion Interventions for Individuals Who Are Aging and Living With Functional Limitations

Abstract

By 2030, the population of individuals living in the United States aged 65 or older is estimated to reach 71.88 million people. In turn, rehabilitation professionals will be tasked with meeting increased levels of need. One approach for promoting health and well-being is physical activity (PA) which holds potential for reducing secondary health conditions and disability. This article examined (a) student attitudes toward PA interventions for aging individuals living with functional limitations, and (b) how student attitudes toward PA interventions might change following a service learning activity. A pre-test/post-test design was utilized. Results indicated that students tended to hold favorable attitudes regarding PA as a health promoting intervention. As a class cohort, no significant changes in student attitudes were observed. However, when evaluated by major, evidence for the value of experiential learning was noted, in addition to interesting changes in the attitudes of non-rehabilitation and human services majors.