Abstract
Objectives Members of minority ethnic groups are under-represented in many allied health professions including physiotherapy. This research project investigated factors influencing attitudes to careers in physiotherapy amongst UK school and college students, focusing on similarities and differences between minority ethnic and White students. Design Quantitative questionnaire-based study with supplementary follow-up interviews. Setting Schools and colleges local to St. George's Hospital Medical School and Kingston University, UK. Participants Six hundred and fifty-one students from 16 local schools and colleges prior to selecting degree courses and careers. Results Overall, nearly one in six participants said that they knew nothing about physiotherapy, and males were significantly less familiar with it than females. Medicine and nursing were much better known. Three-quarters of participants were aware that physiotherapy is a degree course, but minority ethnic participants were significantly less likely to know this than White participants. Awareness of medicine and nursing as degree courses was greater. White participants were significantly more likely to consider physiotherapy as a career than participants from minority ethnic groups, whereas a career in medicine was more popular with participants from minority ethnic groups. Compared with White participants, minority ethnic participants placed greater importance on doing a degree, a profession, a scientific career, a career's prestige, opportunities for self-employment and a high salary. Such factors may well influence their attitudes to physiotherapy as a career. Conclusions In order to increase the diversity of physiotherapists, the profile of the profession needs to be raised generally with increased awareness of its degree-level course, the scientific, autonomous nature of the work, career opportunities and salary levels.
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