title: Assessing change in health professions volunteers' perceptions after participating in Special Olympics healthy athlete events.
abstract: This study assessed perceptions of health professions student and faculty volunteers who participated with athletes at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Healthy Athlete venues. The volunteers' perceptions and expectations of the abilities of intellectually disabled athletes were measured by administering pre-event and post-event questionnaires consisting of demographic questions and the Prognostic Belief Scale (PBS). Invitations to participate in the study were sent to 165 students and faculty members; of those, eighty (48.5 percent response rate) responded to the pre-event questionnaire, and sixty-seven (40.6 percent response rate) responded to the post-event questionnaire. Of the eighty respondents to the pre-event questionnaire, fifty-five (68.7 percent) also completed the post-event questionnaire. The ANOVA comparing pre- and post-event PBS scores between groups found a trend towards higher scores among the volunteers, but analysis did not demonstrate a significant effect in either group (p=.68) or the interaction of group by time (p=.46). Despite the findings from the PBS, participants' statements suggest the experience had an impact on their perceptions and expectations. Although not statistically significant, this study found a positive trend pre- to post-event in the volunteers' perceptions of the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities. In addition to didactic and clinical education, volunteer experiences may enhance care providers' knowledge, skill, and confidence levels for treating clients with intellectual disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Hygiene, Idaho State University, 921 S. 8 Avenue, Stop 8048, Pocatello, ID 83209-8048, USA. freujacq@isu.edu
authors.forename: Jacqueline J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Freudenthal
authors.forename: Linda D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tivis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001298:Audiology; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology; D004046:Dietetics; D004497:Education, Dental; D005178:Faculty; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology; D013177:Sports; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult