Alberta Opinion Study - Massage Therapy in Alberta

As part of our ongoing analysis of public opinion in Alberta, the Citizen Society Research Lab at Lethbridge College incorporates items of community interest into our omnibus surveys of the adult Alberta population. In the fall of 2016 we included a series of questions of interest to our massage therapy students and faculty. We repeated several of those questions in 2017, and again in 2018. Below is a brief, initial analysis of the results.

Relaxation Massage

• More than one of every three adult Albertans (31.5%) received relaxation massage services in the past twelve months (over one million Albertans), up considerable from only about one-quarter (24.5%) in 2016 and 28.7% in 2017. No significant regional differences are measured.

Therapeutic Massage                        

• More than one-third of Albertans (35.4%) received therapeutic massage services in the past twelve months (well over one-million Albertans.) Again, no significant regional variations are measured.

Awareness of Unregulated Professional Status of Massage Therapy Services in Alberta

• A substantial majority of Albertans (61.9%) were not aware of the unregulated professional status of the Alberta massage therapy industry.

Support for the Establishment of an Alberta College of Massage Therapists

• The vast majority of Albertans (92.1%) support the establishment of an Alberta college of massage therapists.

Support for Required Entrance to Practice Exam

• The vast majority of Albertans (91.8%) support requiring those wishing to practice massage therapy to pass an entrance to practice exam.

Download to view all the summary data.