Toward sleep health as a focus of physical therapy practice: one lecture can positively impact sleep knowledge and beliefs in entry-level students

Abstract

Background Challenges to integrating health promotion including sleep health into entry-level physical therapist curricula include lack of faculty expertise, time, and support. A lecture provided by a content expert may mitigate such challenges. The purpose of this study was to determine if a sleep education session impacts Doctor of Physical Therapy students’ knowledge and beliefs about sleep. Methods Faculty shared the opportunity to participate in the study 1–3 days prior to the remotely-provided lecture including sleep health assessment and interventions. The survey included demographics, a sleep health knowledge question, 11 questions on “What I think about sleep as a professional”, and the 20-item Sleep Beliefs Scale. McNemar’s and paired sample t-tests determined change in knowledge and beliefs. Results 209 individuals (70% female, 86% Caucasian, 25.5 ± 3.4 years old) completed the pre-lecture survey, and 137 individuals completed the post-lecture survey. There was an increase in knowledge about sleep health (p < .001) and change in Sleep Beliefs Scales score (p < .001). Conclusions A single remotely provided sleep education session increased DPT students’ knowledge and changed their beliefs about sleep. Future studies should determine if these positive beliefs about sleep translate into clinical practice and enhance patient outcomes.