Factors Associated with Reduced Perceived Access to Physiotherapy Services among People with Low Back Disorders

Purpose: To explore which socio-demographic, clinical, and other factors are associated with reduced perceived access to physiotherapy among people with low back disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate perceived access to physiotherapy services in a convenience sample of 111 people with low back disorders presenting to a spinal triage service. Participants were asked whether they felt that they had reduced access to physiotherapy as a result of cost, wait time, or location. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to explore the association between perceived access to physiotherapy and a range of socio-demographic, clinical, and other factors. Results: Overall reduced perceived access to physiotherapy was reported by 27.9% of the sample; 13.5% reported reduced access resulting from cost, 9.9% from wait time, and 10.8% from location. A variety of socio-demographic and clinical variables were found to be associated with reduced perceived access, including the presence of other health conditions, rural residence, and no prior physiotherapy use. Conclusion: Perceived access to physiotherapy among people with low back disorders may be associated with a diverse range of factors. Further research is required to determine the relationship between these variables and actual use of physiotherapy services.