Factors affecting the interest of rehabilitation professionals indirectly supporting preventive care projects

[Purpose] To identify the factors affecting the interest of rehabilitation professionals who indirectly support preventive care projects. [Participants and Methods] Rehabilitation professionals (physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language-hearing therapists) working in 617 hospitals and other health facilities in A Prefecture, Japan. On the basis of their degree of interest in the activities of their respective preventive care projects, the professionals were classified into three groups after evaluating their responses to a self-reporting questionnaire (1,851 parts in total). The subsequent comparisons were performed among the three groups and their responses to the remaining questions. [Results] Analysis of the responses provided by 354 of the 374 rehabilitation professionals who answered the questionnaire revealed the following factors affecting their degree of interest in the preventive care projects indirectly supported by them: advanced age; abundant years of experience practicing; being speech-language-hearing-therapists; experience in post-graduate training; and considering the scope of support as a part of the community. Furthermore, the vast majority of individuals in the group showing superior interest had experience in activities related to indirect support. [Conclusion] Confirmation of the extent to which indirect support by rehabilitation professionals is effective for preventive care services is essential, since such support is difficult to demonstrate, unlike direct support.