Attitudes Towards the Physically Challenged (ATPC): Reliability and Validity Study of a Japanese Version of ATPC-Form O

This study focuses on the reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the "attitudes towards the physically challenged" (ATPC) Form O. Form O measures the affective attitude component of the views towards the physically challenged and contains 20 statements to be responded to in a six-point range. A convenience sample of 154 physiotherapists in Fukui Prefecture participated in this mailed survey. The reliability of Form O was assessed as homogeneity, and its validity as construct validity. The rate of return was 47.5%. All but 1 of the 20 items were found to have significant item-total correlations. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for Form O was 0.76 with some evidence for construct validity, which explained 30.9% of the variance. The obtained factors were labelled as "prejudice", "differing view" and "self-concept" with the rate of contribution (Cronbach's alpha) being 20.27% (0.73), 6.41% (0.66), and 4.25% (0.69), respectively. Evidence for construct validity was demonstrated in Form O's ability to differentiate between genders and also between physiotherapists who preferred treating clients with conditions or diseases that would lead to permanent disability and those who preferred treating clients with conditions or diseases that would lead to a full recovery. Convergent validity, as a form of construct validity, was also supported for Form O. The results show that Form O can be considered a reliable and valid measure of documenting trends of importance in regards to the physically challenged.