The aim of this study is to develop a scale to assess the manual therapy application behaviors of physiotherapists in Türkiye, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). A literature-based item pool will be created, and expert opinion (Delphi method) will be obtained to ensure content validity. The final scale will be administered online to physiotherapists, and construct validity and reliability analyses will be conducted. The study aims to contribute scientifically to the determination of manual therapy application behaviors in physiotherapy practices, the understanding of clinical decision-making processes, and the measurement of behavioral intention. No risks were anticipated for the participants, and data collection was voluntary.
Manual therapy is an evidence-based intervention method based on manual techniques widely used by physiotherapists in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. However, clinicians' decisions to implement manual therapy are influenced by multidimensional factors such as personal attitudes, professional beliefs, institutional policies, educational experiences, and the culture of clinical practice. The use of behavior-based theoretical models is recommended to evaluate these factors together. The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) is a powerful approach that explains individuals' intentions to perform a specific behavior through variables such as attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention. Although this theory is frequently used to understand the clinical decision-making processes of healthcare professionals, there is no valid and reliable measurement tool in Turkey for measuring behavior toward manual therapy practices. This study will develop a new scale adapted to Turkish culture to assess physiotherapists' manual therapy practices in a theoretically based manner. The research will consist of three phases: Item Development Phase: The item pool generated through the literature review will be presented to expert physiotherapists. Expert Panel/Delphi Phase: Experts will evaluate the items based on content validity, and items will be revised or removed based on consensus. In this phase, the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) will be evaluated. Statistical Analysis Phase: The final scale will be administered online to physical therapists.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
300
Pamukkale University
Denizli, Denizli, Turkey (Türkiye)
Manual Therapy Application Behavior Scale for Physiotherapists
"Manual Therapy Application Behavior Scale in Physiotherapists" is a 7-point Likert-type (1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree) self-report scale developed based on Ajzen's Planned Behavior Theory. Higher scores reflect more positive attitudes, stronger subjective norms, higher perceived behavioral control, and higher behavioral intentions among physical therapists toward manual therapy. Construct validity will be assessed using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), item-total correlations, test-retest reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis.
Time frame: One-time evaluation during the data collection period
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