ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIAN PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND AWARENESS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY ROLES IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19: A NATIONWIDE ONLINE SURVEY
- 1. Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
- 2. Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
- 3. Department of Physiotherapy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria
- 4. Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
- 5. Department of Physiotherapy, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
- 6. Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
- 7. Department of Medical Rehabilitation, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria
- 8. Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Description
Abstract
This cross-sectional study assessed Nigerian Physiotherapy students’ knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the roles of physiotherapy in the prevention and management of COVID-19. Four hundred (400) Nigerian physiotherapy students responded to the survey via an electronic (WhatsApp) questionnaire. The survey revealed a high degree of COVID-19 awareness (98.3%) with the social media (83.3%), especially WhatsApp (70.8%), indicated as the. main source of information. 52% of the respondents exhibited a good level of knowledge of the virus, as well as anti-COVID-19 precautions and hygiene. The level of knowledge correlated with the participants’ ages; the final year (class v) had the highest knowledge score (40). While Nigerian physiotherapy students demonstrate a high level of awareness with regard to the virus and its transmission, the level of knowledge relating to physiotherapy roles in COVID-19 appears to be low.