Physiotherapists’ work in public perception

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study is to determine basic physical traits of physiotherapists and indicators of their occupation according to social expectations. Material and Methods: 2121 people of different sex, age and education participated in the study. The preferences were categorized by sex and the education level. The test for equality of two percentage structures based on statistics ‘Z’ and the test for equality of proportions based on Fisher-Snedecor’s test were implemented. Results: The preferences for the physical traits are consistent with those commonly expected, and the high level of fitness is expected in the context of significant psychological and physical burdens. The respondents’ education level rather than gender seems to be a more significant variable in the evaluation of personal characteristics. The most significant differences can be noticed in the choices of people with a low level of education. Conclusions: Sex and education influence the preferences regarding the build of a physiotherapist and the characteristics of their job, and the results of the most important appearance attributes and body build clearly show a lack of social acceptance of therapists who neglect their appearance.