Variation determinants within massage therapists’ professional identity

Amanda Baskwill; Meredith Vanstone; Del Harnish; Kelly Dore

doi:10.1515/jcim-2021-0255

Artikel

Variation determinants within massage therapists’ professional identity

Amanda Baskwill , Meredith Vanstone , Del Harnish und Kelly Dore

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 31. Januar 2022

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Aus der Zeitschrift Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Band 20 Heft 2

Abstract

Objectives

Individuals have multiple, competing identities that vary in importance to the self. Professional identity is a way in which individuals attribute meaning to their contribution to society and is influenced by complex factors. Globally, the roles and responsibilities of massage therapists (MTs) vary, making it challenging to articulate a cohesive professional identity. This article describes the investigation into the variables which influenced response regarding MTs’ professional identity in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

An online questionnaire was distributed to active MTs with available email addresses in the public register of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Chi-square tests of independence were used to compare dependent variables with independent variables. Significance was adjusted post hoc, using Bonferroni’s correction, to reduce the chance of a type I error occurring. The threshold for significance was adjusted from p≤0.05 to p≤0.01 as multiple analyses were conducted with a high response rate.

Results

The results provided insight into the variables associated with differences in responses. Variation was seen based on gender, primary practice setting, length in practice, additional education, additional roles within the profession, additional designation as a healthcare provider, and membership in the RMTAO (Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario).

Conclusions

While previous studies sought to describe the common and unifying features of MTs’ identity, these findings provide insight into variables that determine differences in responses. These findings are valuable for the development of future studies. They provide a priori assumptions regarding the inclusion of these demographic items that can inform decisions regarding enrollment of the sample and data analysis.

Keywords: mixed methods research; online questionnaire; social identity theory

Corresponding author: Amanda Baskwill, PhD, MSc, BEd, RMT, Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness, Humber College, 205 Humber College Blvd, Toronto, ON, Canada; and Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, E-mail: amanda.baskwill@humber.ca

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Anne Wong, MD, PhD, and Mitchell Levine, MD, MSc, as members of the primary author’s PhD committee, and Jason Powell, PhD, whose comments during the writing process enhanced the arguments and distilled the discussion of this study. Thank you to the reviewer who took time to provide detailed recommendations for improvements to this article.

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: Approval was granted by Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (HiREB) and Humber College’s Research Ethics Board.

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Received: 2021-06-13

Accepted: 2022-01-17

Published Online: 2022-01-31

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Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel

mixed methods research; online questionnaire; social identity theory