Socio-demographic predictors of admission to Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction: The influence of socio-demographic variables on admission to a Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme is a debated topic. The study investigated the socio-demographic predictors of admission test success and scores for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme. Moreover, the study assessed the effects of different proportions of logical reasoning (LR) and scientific knowledge (SK) questions on the distribution of socio-demographic variables of admitted candidates. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on applicants to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme at Humanitas University, Milan, Italy, from 2016 to 2023. Logistic and linear regression models were used to investigate socio-demographic predictors of admission and test scores. Logistic regression model and chi-square test were used to investigate socio-demographic predictors and their distribution in admitted candidates of 3 cohorts selected with a different proportion of logical reasoning (LR) and scientific knowledge (SK) questions. Results: High-school type, gender, and geographic origin were socio-demographic predictors of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme test success (pseudo-R² = 0.06) and total score (R² = 0.13). A higher proportion of candidates who attended a scientific high school and males were found among admitted applicants, regardless of the proportion of LR and SK questions. Discussion: Socio-demographic predictors of admission to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme were identified, but these predictors marginally improved the model fitting or explained a small portion of the variance. These results suggested that admission outcomes were poorly predicted by socio-demographic factors considered in the current study. Admission test contents did not seem to influence the socio-demographic profile of candidates admitted to a Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme.