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Abstract
Background: The success of physiotherapy is heavily reliant on patient adherence,
yet non-adherence remains a significant challenge, particularly among the growing
geriatric population in Nigeria. While the benefits of physiotherapy for older adults
are well-documented, there is a paucity of research investigating the specific barriers
that impede treatment adherence in older adults in the Nigerian tertiary healthcare
setting.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of adherence and identify the
primary barriers to physiotherapy treatment among geriatric patients at the
University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), a tertiary healthcare facility in
South-South Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 50 geriatric patients (24
male and 26 female) receiving physiotherapy at UBTH. Data was collected using the
Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) to assess adherence and structured
Barriers to Treatment Adherence Questionnaire (BTAQ) to evaluate barriers related
to service access and quality. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.
Inferential statistics of Chi-square test were used to determine associations.
Significance level was set at p < 0.05.
Results: The study revealed a high rate of non-adherence (74.0%) among the
participants. Barriers related to accessing physiotherapy services were significantly
associated with non-adherence, including having missed a session due to access
difficulties (p=0.015), using public transport (p=0.037), and having a travel time of
over one hour (p=0.010). In contrast, the perceived quality of physiotherapy services
was high and not significantly associated with adherence. A higher frequency of
weekly physiotherapy sessions was the only factor significantly associated with
better adherence (p=0.035).
Conclusion: Adherence to physiotherapy among geriatric patients at UBTH is
critically low, primarily driven by significant socioeconomic and logistical barriers
related to access, transportation, and cost, rather than dissatisfaction with the quality
of care. These findings underscore the urgent need for systemic interventions to
make physiotherapy services more accessible and affordable for the elderly
population in Nigeria.
yet non-adherence remains a significant challenge, particularly among the growing
geriatric population in Nigeria. While the benefits of physiotherapy for older adults
are well-documented, there is a paucity of research investigating the specific barriers
that impede treatment adherence in older adults in the Nigerian tertiary healthcare
setting.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of adherence and identify the
primary barriers to physiotherapy treatment among geriatric patients at the
University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), a tertiary healthcare facility in
South-South Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 50 geriatric patients (24
male and 26 female) receiving physiotherapy at UBTH. Data was collected using the
Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) to assess adherence and structured
Barriers to Treatment Adherence Questionnaire (BTAQ) to evaluate barriers related
to service access and quality. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.
Inferential statistics of Chi-square test were used to determine associations.
Significance level was set at p < 0.05.
Results: The study revealed a high rate of non-adherence (74.0%) among the
participants. Barriers related to accessing physiotherapy services were significantly
associated with non-adherence, including having missed a session due to access
difficulties (p=0.015), using public transport (p=0.037), and having a travel time of
over one hour (p=0.010). In contrast, the perceived quality of physiotherapy services
was high and not significantly associated with adherence. A higher frequency of
weekly physiotherapy sessions was the only factor significantly associated with
better adherence (p=0.035).
Conclusion: Adherence to physiotherapy among geriatric patients at UBTH is
critically low, primarily driven by significant socioeconomic and logistical barriers
related to access, transportation, and cost, rather than dissatisfaction with the quality
of care. These findings underscore the urgent need for systemic interventions to
make physiotherapy services more accessible and affordable for the elderly
population in Nigeria.
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