[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationships between physical
therapy students’ motives to become physical therapists and their academic performance.
This was investigated by their experience of delayed or non-delayed graduation, and their
perceptions of learning in school and internship. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 245
physical therapists participating in a newcomer orientation by the Hiroshima Prefectural
Physical Therapy Association in May, 2017. Subjects’ basic attributes and their responses
to specially created questionnaires were investigated. [Results] Seventeen of 193 physical
therapists in their first year experienced delayed graduation. There were differences
between the delayed graduation group and the non-delayed graduation group about motives
for becoming a physical therapist. Moreover, there were significant relationships between
motives for becoming a physical therapist and perceptions of learning in school as opposed
to internship. [Conclusion] We conclude that motives for becoming a physical therapist are
related to academic performance.
[Purpose] The survey aimed to clarify the factors that affect physiotherapists’ job
satisfaction. [Subjects and Methods] To examine factors affecting physical therapists’ job
satisfaction using a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire survey. Subjects were 193
first-year physical therapists who participated in a newcomer orientation at Hiroshima
Prefectural Physical Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised items concerning
physical therapists’ satisfaction with their work, motives for becoming physical
therapists, education in school, internships, the workplace, and comfort in the workplace.
[Results] Subjects were divided into two groups according to their satisfaction with their
occupation. The “high satisfaction” group included 157 subjects, and the group “low
satisfaction” group included 36 subjects. Using logistic regression analysis, items
concerning comfort in the workplace, motives for becoming physical therapists, and
learning in school were analysed. [Conclusion] Factors affecting physical therapists’ job
satisfaction were primarily influenced by previous experience and working conditions.
[Purpose] We investigated which indices are effective for determining the functional walking ability of hemiplegic stroke patients.[Subjects] The subjects were 62 hemiplegic stroke patients (independent walking group, 34; unable to walk independently, 28) with more than a month since the onset of stroke. [Method] We evaluated the subjects with the 'Stops talking when walking' (SWWT) test, and four sub-items of the Functional Balance Scale (FBS: standing, transfers, forward reach, 360 turn) the cognitive and motor functions which are considered necessary at the time of walking. The FBS was evaluated as the number of items successfully achieved. For statistical analysis, the differences in the evaluated items between the two groups were examined. Those found to have significant differences were used as independent variables in logistic regression analysis with degree of functional walking as the dependent variable.[Results] We determined that independent walking was possible when: 1) FBS 4 items were achieved and walking continued in SWWT; 2) FBS 4 items were achieved and stopped walking in SWWT; and 3) FBS 3 items were achieved and walking continued in SWWT.[Conclusion] By adopting a novel index evaluating cognitive function during walking together with FBS from the novel perspective of numbers of items achieved, we consider that it is possible to arrive at a more practical evaluation of functional walking ability. We intend to actively pursue this line of research, to investigate the validity of our evaluation index. Key words: stroke patients, functional walking ability, evaluation
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.