Going Green: Environmental Curriculum Within Entry-Level Physiotherapy Programs in Australia and New Zealand-A Mixed Method Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is an increasing awareness about the impact of climate change on public health and the potential role that health professionals, including physiotherapists, may play in mitigating this. It is not known whether environmental education is a part of physiotherapy curricula in Australia and New Zealand. This study explored the views about, and suitability of, embedding environmental curriculum within entry-level physiotherapy programs in Australia and New Zealand.

METHODS

A mixed method study consisting of a quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews (SSI) was undertaken. The survey was disseminated to 20 Program Directors (PD) or Heads of Discipline (HoD) of entry-level undergraduate physiotherapy programs in Australia and New Zealand. Quantitative data were summarised descriptively, and qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Thirteen participants (65% response rate) completed the survey, four of whom also participated in SSI. Eight participants (61.6%) collectively agreed that physiotherapy students should be educated about the causes and impact of climate change (six participants (46.2%) 'somewhat agreed' and two (15.4%) 'strongly agreed'). Common barriers to implementing curriculum changes were the lack of accreditation requirements to do so (40%) and time constraints (33.3%). Three themes were derived from qualitative data namely: (a) Interconnectedness of climate, and health (b) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, and (c) curriculum integration factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Most entry-level physiotherapy PD and HoD in Australia and New Zealand believe that climate change is happening and impacts human health. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding whether an environmental curriculum should be included in physiotherapy programs. Future research in this field is recommended, and collaboration among various physiotherapy stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and physiotherapy associations, is essential to facilitate the inclusion of climate change and sustainable development content within undergraduate physiotherapy programs.