The effect of disability awareness educational program of university students in the department of physical therapy on reducing prejudices against people with disabilities and increasing positive attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Yung Keun Park, Je Ho Kim
PMID 30154595WHAT IT FOUND
Physical therapy students who took 16 weeks of disability awareness lectures reported lower prejudice scores and higher positive attitude scores than students who did not take the lectures.
The comparison involved 30 students.
Key findings
01After 16 weeks, overall prejudice scores differed between the lecture and non-lecture groups, with total scores of 1.9 and 2.3 on the paper's 5-point questionnaire.
02After 16 weeks, positive attitude scores differed between groups, with 4.2 in the lecture group and 3.6 in the non-lecture group on the paper's 5-point questionnaire.
03Within the lecture group, overall prejudice scores were 2.2 before and 1.9 after; within the non-lecture group, they were 2.3 before and 2.3 after.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 30 students from one physical therapy department, so it cannot be assumed to apply to other universities, professions, or practising therapists. The lecture group and control group were formed by whether students took the course, and the paper does not report random allocation, so differences other than the course could explain the result. Outcomes were anonymous self-report questionnaire scores, and the paper does not report how the modified scale was validated for disability prejudice or attitudes. The study reports scores immediately after 16 weeks and does not show whether attitudes changed in real clinical encounters or lasted over time. The paper does not report dropout handling or blinding.
Declared interests
The research was funded by a research grant from Sehan University in 2018. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that disability awareness lectures cause lasting prejudice reduction in practising therapists or improve patient care. The study compared 30 students whose groups were formed by course participation, not by a reported random assignment, and it measured only questionnaire scores immediately after 16 weeks.