ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aims to identify occupational therapy awareness by grade level by conducting an occupational therapy awareness survey for all grades of general high schools across the country, and to accordingly identify the timing of departmental exploration. In addition, we want to find out how to promote the department desired by high school students. Methods: An online survey was conducted from November 22 to December 5, 2021 for general high school students in 17 regions across the country. Out of a total of 860 questionnaires collected, 707 were analyzed, with 153 inappropriate responses excluded. The collected data were processed and analyzed through a frequency analysis and a cross-analysis using descriptive statistics and multiple responses. Results: The level of occupational therapy awareness among high school students was 48.9%. As a result of analyzing occupational therapy awareness by grade, it was confirmed that the higher the grade, the lower the ratio of choosing 'I don't know' for each item. As for the method of public relations desired by high school students, ‘Social Network Service (SNS) posts’ was the highest at 26.2%. Conclusion: Through a department search, occupational therapy awareness was found to increase as the grade level increased. Therefore, to provide sufficient time for exploration, it is thought that the use of 'SNS posts' as a method of publicity for the department desired by high school students will be effective in improving the level of awareness regarding occupational therapy.