OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of physical therapy service use among the urban adult population of Lages (Santa Catarina), according to demographic and socioeconomic variables. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study with multiple-stage sampling was carried out among adults aged 20 to 59 years (n=2051). Data were gathered by means of interviews at the participants' home, in which they provided information on the use of physical therapy services over their lifetime. The prevalence of this outcome was estimated for the entire population according to sex, age, educational level, self-evaluation of health, and income. RESULTS:The prevalence of physical therapy service use was 33.5% (95% CI: 33.0%-39.8%) among men and 31.5% (95% CI: 28.9%-34.1%) among women. Regarding the other demographic variables investigated, the prevalence of physical therapy use increased with age and was highest among the 50 to 59 year-old group (47.2%; 95% CI: 42.4%-52.0%). The prevalence was also higher among participants of self-reported Asian background (45.9%; 95% CI: 29.1%-62.7%). Regarding socioeconomic variables, it was observed that groups with better indicators reported greater service use: 46.9% (95% CI: 42.3%-51.5%) in the highest income range and 37.5% (95% CI: 34.4%-40.7%) in the range of 12 to 15 years of education. CONCLUSION: The present study found that physical therapy service use varied among this population according to the participants' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.
physical therapy; prevalence; health services; epidemiology
