Professionals Serving Individuals With Special Needs and Quality of Life

NCT ID: NCT07234435

Last Updated: 2026-02-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-10-25
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-15

Brief Summary

In recent years, the number of individuals with special needs (SNIs) requiring care has been increasing both globally and in our country. In line with the principles of a social welfare state, professionals have taken on a growing role in the care, treatment, and education of SNIs. These professionals include physiotherapists, teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers. Unlike the education and treatment of typically developing individuals, providing services to SNIs can place additional burdens on staff, potentially leading over time to various physical, psychological, and emotional challenges. The demanding nature of working with SNIs, high expectations, environmental conditions, low wages despite intensive labor, lack of job security in the private sector, and the potential risks associated with working with individuals with disabilities can all create significant stress for service providers. This, in turn, may negatively affect both their personal and family lives as well as the quality of the services delivered.

Detailed Description

The demanding nature of working with SNIs, high expectations, environmental conditions, low wages despite intensive labor, lack of job security in the private sector, and the potential risks associated with working with individuals with disabilities can all create significant stress for service providers. This, in turn, may negatively affect both their personal and family lives as well as the quality of the services delivered.

Therefore, this study aims to examine the levels of physical activity, nutritional knowledge, burnout, and quality of life among professionals-such as physiotherapists, special education teachers, and other specialists (e.g., occupational therapists, speech and language therapists)-who provide services to individuals with special needs. Within the scope of the research, physical activity levels will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), nutritional knowledge using the Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire, burnout levels using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and quality of life using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Additionally, informative sessions will be conducted to promote social participation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange among professionals serving individuals with special needs.

Conditions

Physiotherapist; Teachers

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CROSSOVER
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Professionals Serving Individuals with Special Needs

The difficulty and slow progress of programs implemented for individuals with special needs can cause physical and emotional wear and tear on professionals providing services to individuals, change in their eating habits, decrease their quality of life, and affect their general health.

• Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and teachers working in a private education and rehabilitation center or any public institution.
• Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and teachers who have been working for at least two years, due to professional experience and allowance for attrition.

International Physical Activity Questionnaire

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The physical activity levels of the participants will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). In this study, the self-administered short form, which covers the last seven days, will be used.

The total score of the questionnaire is calculated by summing the duration (in minutes) and frequency (in days) of walking, moderate, and vigorous activities. .

The Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

It is assumed that nutritional knowledge enables individuals to choose healthy foods, prepare them in accordance with healthy eating recommendations, and consume them appropriately, thereby leading to improvements in dietary habits. The Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults, recently developed by Batmaz and Güneş (2018) in Turkey, includes subdomains such as basic nutrition and dietary preferences (Batmaz, H., \& Güneş, E., 2018).

Maslach Burnout Inventory

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Burnout levels will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Developed by Maslach and Jackson (1981), the inventory conceptualizes burnout not as a single-dimensional construct but as a multifaceted phenomenon, allowing each dimension to be evaluated independently rather than by a single overall score. The MBI consists of 22 items grouped under three subscales: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment.

Short Form-36 Health Survey

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). This is a self-report questionnaire that evaluates eight dimensions of health through 36 items: physical functioning, social functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, mental health, vitality (energy), bodily pain, and general health perception.

Interventions

International Physical Activity Questionnaire

The physical activity levels of the participants will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). In this study, the self-administered short form, which covers the last seven days, will be used.

The total score of the questionnaire is calculated by summing the duration (in minutes) and frequency (in days) of walking, moderate, and vigorous activities. .

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale

It is assumed that nutritional knowledge enables individuals to choose healthy foods, prepare them in accordance with healthy eating recommendations, and consume them appropriately, thereby leading to improvements in dietary habits. The Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults, recently developed by Batmaz and Güneş (2018) in Turkey, includes subdomains such as basic nutrition and dietary preferences (Batmaz, H., \& Güneş, E., 2018).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Maslach Burnout Inventory

Burnout levels will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Developed by Maslach and Jackson (1981), the inventory conceptualizes burnout not as a single-dimensional construct but as a multifaceted phenomenon, allowing each dimension to be evaluated independently rather than by a single overall score. The MBI consists of 22 items grouped under three subscales: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Short Form-36 Health Survey

Quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). This is a self-report questionnaire that evaluates eight dimensions of health through 36 items: physical functioning, social functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, mental health, vitality (energy), bodily pain, and general health perception.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-45 years old
• Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and teachers working in a private education and rehabilitation center or any public institution.
• Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and teachers who have been working for at least two years due to professional experience and attrition.

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals who do not volunteer to participate in the study.
• Retired physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and teachers.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Nigde Omer Halisdemir University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Rabia ZORLULAR

principal investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Nigde Omer Halisdemir University

Niğde, Merkez, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

References

Öztürk, M. (2005). A research on reliability and validity of international physical activity questionnaire and determination of physical activity level in university students. Hacettepe University Health Science Institute an Unpublished PhD Thesis, Ankara (in Turkish).

Reference Type: RESULT

Other Identifiers

Special Needs and Professional

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id