Problem-Based Learning in Professional Entry-Level Therapy Education: A Review of Controlled Evaluation Studies

Although there has been growing interest in Problem Based Learning (PBL) by professional entry-level therapy educators, its effectiveness is as yet unclear. Existing overviews of the field do not provide high quality evidence in terms of the effectiveness or otherwise of PBL in professional therapy education. The purposes of this article is to systematically review the current literature on PBL and determine its effectiveness when compared to other didactic approaches in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, dietetics, podiatry, orthoptics and therapeutic radiography entry-level education. Eight databases were searched for controlled evaluation studies investigating the effectiveness of PBL in the seven therapy professions. Four competencies were analysed; students’ knowledge, performance, approaches to learning and satisfaction. Data were extracted and risk of bias assessed by independent reviewers. One scoring system was used to assess the quality of the studies and another determined the level of evidence for each competency. The search yielded 3885 articles, of which six met inclusion criteria after full text review; three in physiotherapy, one each in occupational therapy, dietetics and podiatry. Three of the six studies were categorised as high quality. No study measured all four competencies. When compared to other didactic approaches, there is no evidence that PBL has a more positive effect on students’ knowledge and performance and satisfaction levels and limited evidence that it improves students’ approaches to learning. Currently available literature revealed no convincing evidence that PBL is more effective than traditional didactic education for entry level therapy professions

Data on determinants are needed to curb the sedentary epidemic in Europe. Lessons learnt from the DEDIPAC European knowledge hub

Societal and technological changes have resulted in sitting being the dominant posture during most activities of daily living, such as learning, working, travelling and leisure time. Too much time spent in seated activities, referred to as sedentary behaviour, is a novel concern for public health as it is one of the key lifestyle causes of poor health. The European DEDIPAC (Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity) Knowledge Hub coordinated the work of 35 institutions across 12 European member states to investigate the determinants of sedentary behaviour. DEDIPAC reviewed current evidence, set a theoretical framework and harmonised the available epidemiological data. The main results are summarised. The conclusion is that there is a dire lack of data that is exploitable across Europe to inform policy and intervention. There is an urgent need to develop international data collection compliant with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable) and standardised surveillance systems for sedentary behaviour

Socio-economic determinants of physical activity across the life course: a "dEterminantsof dIet and physical aCtivity" (DEDIPAC) umbrella literature review

Background To date, the scientific literature on socioeconomic correlates and determinants of physical activity behaviours has been dispersed throughout a number of systematic reviews, often focusing on one factor (e.g. education or parental income) in one specific age group (e.g. pre-school children or adults). The aim of this umbrella review is to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the scientific literature from previously conducted research by summarising and synthesising the importance and strength of the evidence related to socioeconomic correlates and determinants of PA behaviours across the life course. Methods Medline, Embase, ISI Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus were searched for systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies investigating the association between socioeconomic determinants of PA and PA itself (from January 2004 to September 2017). Data extraction evaluated the importance of determinants, strength of evidence, and methodological quality of the selected papers. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (PROSPERO2014:CRD42015010616). Results Nineteen reviews were included. Moderate methodological quality emerged. For adults, convincing evidence supports a relationship between PA and socioeconomic status (SES), especially in relation to leisure time (positive relationship) and occupational PA (negative relationship). Conversely, no association between PA and SES or parental SES was found for pre-school, school-aged children and adolescents. Conclusions Available evidence on the socioeconomic determinants of PA behaviour across the life course is probable (shows fairly consistent associations) at best. While some evidence is available for adults, less was available for youth. This is mainly due to a limited quantity of primary studies, weak research designs and lack of accuracy in the PA and SES assessment methods employed. Further PA domain specific studies using longitudinal design and clear measures of SES and PA assessment are required

The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health: Implications and Recommendations for the 21st century

The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health was convened at the 2007 World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) Congress to vision practice in the 21st century and, in turn, entry-level education and research, as informed by epidemiological indicators, and consistent with evidence-based noninvasive interventions, the hallmark of physical therapy. The Summit and its findings were informed by WHO data and validated through national databases of the countries of the five WCPT regions. The health priorities based on mortality were examined in relation to proportions of physical therapists practicing in the areas of regional priorities and of the curricula in entry-level programs. As a validation check and to contextualize the findings, input from members of the 800 Summit participants was integrated and international consultants refined the recommendations. Lifestyle-related conditions (ischemic heart disease, smoking-related conditions, hypertension, stroke, cancer, and diabetes) were leading causes of premature death across regions. Contemporary definitions of physical therapy support that the profession has a leading role in preventing, reversing, as well as managing lifestyle-related conditions. The proportions of practitioners practicing primarily in these priority areas and of the entry-level curricula based on these priorities were low. The proportions of practitioners in priority areas and entry-level curricula devoted to lifestyle-related conditions warrant being better aligned with the prevalence of these conditions across regions in the 21st century. A focus on clinical competencies associated with effective health education and health behavior change formulates the basis for The Second Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health. © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc