Changing Student Health Professionals' Attitudes toward Disability: A Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Exercise Science
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Community-based exercise programs offer unique opportunities for interaction.
• Student engagement with individuals with disabilities can shape professional attitudes.
• Longitudinal studies are needed to assess attitude retention post-intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the retention of positive attitude changes towards disability in students.
• To assess if attitudes remain improved 3 months after a 12-week exercise program.
• To explore secondary outcomes including professional skills and career intentions.

Main Methods:

• 68 physiotherapy and exercise physiology students participated in a 12-week voluntary program.
• Students were paired with young people with disabilities, exercising twice weekly.
• Attitudes, skills, confidence, and intentions were measured at baseline, 13 weeks, and 24 weeks.

Main Results:

• Student attitudes towards disability improved significantly at 13 and 24 weeks compared to baseline.
• A small, statistically significant decrease in positive attitudes was observed between week 13 and week 24.
• Self-reported professional skills, confidence, and future work intentions in disability settings increased.

Conclusions:

• Positive changes in student attitudes towards disability are generally retained 3 months post-program.
• The community-based exercise program positively influenced students' professional development and career outlook.
• While slight attitude decay occurred, the program demonstrated lasting benefits.