Physiotherapists' understanding and approach to health promotion work in compulsory school: Perceiving and supporting coherence

• Published in: Physiotherapy theory and practice Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 318 - 326
• Main Authors: Boll, Madeleine, Boström-Lindberg, Eva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.07.2010; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Coherence; Comprehension; Compulsory; Female; Folkhälsomedicinska forskningsområden; Folkhälsovetenskap; Health Promotion; Humans; Interviews as Topic; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Middle Aged; Physical Therapy Modalities - psychology; Physiotherapists; Physiotherapy; Primary health care; Professional Role; Public health medicine research areas; Public health science; School Health Services; Self Efficacy; Social medicine; Socialmedicin
• ISSN: 0959-3985; 1532-5040; 1532-5040
• DOI: 10.3109/09593980903071394

Gaining knowledge in the field of health promotion may help physiotherapists acquire a new understanding of the way movement promotes health, as related to environmental influences. The aim of the present study was to describe how physiotherapists working in a programme of health promotion in compulsory school understand and approach their work. Seven physiotherapists in primary care, working partly with health promotion in compulsory school, were interviewed. A descriptive design of qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse interviews that had already been conducted in a local evaluation of the programme. This resulted in a main theme, described as Perceiving and Supporting Coherence. This understanding and approach were discussed in relation to challenges of a historically embedded constitution of physiotherapy when entering the area of health promotion in compulsory school.