## 3 Results
### Survey Themes 1 and 2  
Male Australian osteepaths were more likely to report _often_ treating sports-related injuries compared to female practitioners (OR1.65, 95%CI 1.28-2.13). Australian osteepaths who reported _often_ treating sports-related injuries were also more likely to be younger, with a small effect size (\(p<0.001\), d = 0.23) compared to their counterparts who do _not often_ treat these injuries. Patient care hours (\(p<0.001\), d = 0.41) and patient visits per week (\(p<0.001\), d = 0.37) were significantly greater amongst osteepaths who _often_ treat sports-related injuries compared to those who did _not often_ treat these injuries with medium effect sizes. Australian osteepaths who report often treating sports-related injuries were also more likely to _often_ refer patients for diagnostic imaging (OR6.13, 95%CI 3.19-11.80) compared to colleagues who do _not often_ treat these injuries. Australian osteepaths who _often_ treat sports-related injuries are more likely to share a practice with other health professionals, including podiatrists (OR2.08, 95%CI 1.44-3.00), exercise physiologists (OR2.00, 95%CI 1.35-2.96) and massage therapists (OR1.36, 95%CI 1.05-1.74) compared to osteepaths who do _not often_ treat sports-related injuries (Table 2). Further, Australian osteepaths who _often_ treat sports-related injuries were more likely to \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline  & **Treating Sports-Related Injuries** & **Treating Sports Injuries** & \\  & _Not Often_ **(n = 489)** & _Often_ **(n = 501)** & _p-Value** \\ \hline  & Survey Theme 1: Practitioner Features & & & \\ \hline Age (years) [_mean_\(\pm SD\)] & 39.2 \(\pm\) 11.2 & 36.7 \(\pm\) 10.2 & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ Gender \(n\) (\%) & & & & \\ Male & 175 & (35.8) & 240 & (47.9) & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ Female & 314 & (64.2) & 261 & (52.1) & \\ Highest osteepathy professional & & & & \\ qualification \(n\) (\%) & & & & \\ Diploma/Advanced Diploma \({}^{1}\) & 39 & (8.0) & 31 & (6.2) & 0.009 \({}^{*}\) \\ Bachelor Degree & 114 & (23.3) & 99 & (19.8) & \\ Master’s Degree/PhD \({}^{2}\) & 319 & (65.2) & 366 & (73.0) & \\ Others & 17 & (3.5) & 5 & (1.0) & \\ Years in practice [_mean_\(\pm SD\)] & 12.3 \(\pm\) 9.6 & 10.5 \(\pm\) 8.3 & 0.002 \({}^{*}\) \\ \hline  & Survey Theme 2: Practice Features & & & \\ \hline Patient care hours per week [_mean_\(\pm SD\)] & 25.8 \(\pm\) 11.9 & 30.6 \(\pm\) 11.2 & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ _Missing_ & & & & \\ Patient visits per week \({}^{3}\)[_mean_\(\pm SD\)] & 33.5 \(\pm\) 18.1 & 40.1 \(\pm\) 17.7 & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ Practice location \({}^{4}\)\(n\) (\%) & & & & \\ Non-urban & 99 & (21.2) & 73 & (15.3) & \\ Urban & 367 & (78.8) & 405 & (84.7) & 0.017 \({}^{*}\) \\ _Missing_ & 23 & & 23 & \\ Practice in more than 1 location \(n\) (\%) & & & & \\ Yes & 146 & (29.9) & 201 & (40.1) & 0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ Referring people for diagnostic imaging & 11 & (2.2) & 62 & (12.4) & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ (done often) \(n\)\% & & & & \\ Techniques used to assist in clinical & & & & \\ diagnosis \(n\) (\%) & & & & \\ Orthopaedic testing & 471 & (96.3) & 496 & (99.0) & 0.005 \({}^{*}\) \\ Clinical assessment algorithm & 199 & (40.7) & 268 & (53.5) & \(<\)0.001 \({}^{*}\) \\ Neurological testing & 448 & (91.6) & 468 & (93.4) & 0.282 \\ Screening questionnaire & 305 & (62.4) & 327 & (65.3) & 0.343 \\ Cranial nerve testing & 315 & (64.4) & 356 & (71.1) & 0.025 \({}^{*}\) \\ \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{1}\) a total of 9 osteepaths reporting advanced diploma were combined in this group; \({}^{2}\) a total of 5 osteepaths reporting PhD were combined in this group; \({}^{3}\) there were 200 missing observations in this variable; \({}^{4}\) a total of 46 osteepaths practicing in both locations were excluded from this variable \({}^{*}\)-test or \({}^{*}\) chi-square test was statistically significant.  
\end{table} 
Table 1: Practitioner and practice characteristics of Australian osteepaths who report often treating sports-related injuries compared to those who do not often treat sports-related injuries.