Perceptions of Cupping Therapy Among Health Science Students: A Cross-sectional Study Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

Background: Cupping therapy (CT) has gained widespread popularity due to its promotion on social media platforms and endorsements from well-known athletes and celebrities. This social trend has increased interest in CT among healthcare students, making it essential to understand the factors that shape their intentions to adopt it in clinical practice.

Purpose: This study investigated the factors that shape health science students' intentions to use CT in their future clinical practice, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a guide.
Materials and

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered at Indiana University Indianapolis from December 2023 to March 2024. Sixty-one students from various health science programs participated. The TPB model was to evaluate students' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and knowledge related to CT.

Results: The analysis showed that subjective norms had the strongest influence on students' intentions to adopt CT (r = .568, p < .001), underscoring the importance of peer support and endorsements from social media and athletes. Perceived behavioral control (r = .553, p < .001) also significantly predicted intention levels. While attitudes toward CT correlated positively with intention (r = .469, p < .001), and knowledge had a moderate correlation (r = .320, p = .012), neither factor significantly predicted intention in the regression model. The lack of academic content about CT contributed to the weaker effect of knowledge.

Conclusions: The study emphasizes that social influences, particularly subjective norms, play a crucial role in shaping students' intentions to adopt CT. Integrating CT education into health science curricula is recommended to enhance students' skills, confidence, and readiness to apply this therapy effectively in future practice.