AWARENESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEOPLE OF BALOCHISTAN

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the awareness of physical therapy and its association with quality of life among the general population of Balochistan, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 700 individuals using the Awareness of Physical Therapy Questionnaire, through which participants were categorized into adequate knowledge (>67%), fair knowledge (48–65%), and inadequate knowledge (<47%). Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, evaluating physical, psychological, social, and environmental health domains. The quality of life scores were interpreted as very poor (0–20), poor (21–40), moderate (41–60), good (61–80), and very good (81–100). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 to obtain frequencies, percentages, and mean values. The results showed that only 46.4% of participants were aware of the role of physical therapy, while overall knowledge remained inadequate (<47%) regarding treatment modalities, specialties, and professional practice. The mean scores for quality of life domains were 49.00±10.43 for physical health, 56.48±14.77 for psychological health, and 55.23±18.24 for social relationships, indicating a moderate quality of life, whereas environmental health scored 36.23±21.34, indicating a poor quality of life. The study concluded that the population of Balochistan has limited awareness of physical therapy, and physical therapy services are not widely recognized. Increased public education and awareness programs are required to improve understanding of physical therapy and its role in enhancing quality of life.