Physiotherapy

Background: Sports injuries were a major concern among amateur footballers, often leading to reduced performance, loss of participation time, and long-term complications. Effective injury prevention depended largely on athletes’ knowledge and attitudes toward preventive measures. However, limited research existed on these variables among amateur footballers in Nigerian universities, particularly within the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Aim: This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitudes towards injury prevention among amateur footballers in the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, University of Benin. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed involving 92 male and female amateur footballers aged 18 years and above from the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, UNIBEN. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using an adapted self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards injury prevention. Descriptive statistics summarized participants’ characteristics, while Chi-square tests and independent t-tests determined associations between sociodemographic variables, knowledge, and attitude levels at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Participants were predominantly male (63%) and aged 18–25 years (78.3%). The majority (58.7%) demonstrated fair knowledge of injury prevention, while 28.3% had good knowledge and 13.0% had poor knowledge. Most participants (71.7%) displayed positive attitudes towards injury prevention. There was no significant association between gender, department, or BMI and knowledge or attitude levels (p > 0.05), but years of experience showed a weak positive relationship with knowledge scores. Conclusion: Amateur footballers in UNIBEN generally exhibited fair knowledge and positive attitudes towards injury prevention, although certain misconceptions persisted. Targeted educational interventions and physiotherapist-led prevention programs are recommended to enhance injury prevention awareness and promote safer sporting practices among university footballers.

Background: Stroke is a major public health problem and a leading cause of adult disability. The incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate of stroke have been increased worldwide, with most of the burden being in low and middle-income countries. A global survey reported that only 18% of low-income countries had stroke units, compared to 91% of high-income countries. Given the importance of stroke unit care to the prognosis of the disease in stroke patients, it is necessary to describe the current state of stroke units in the country, focusing on availability, capacity, and capability. Methods: This research involved a mixed study design of a Cross-sectional and In-Depth interview. The instruments used were questionnaire administered to 45 stroke MDTs. The In- depth interview involved 10 selected stroke MDTs. The quantitative analysis data was summarized using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. For the qualitative analysis, thematic analysis and visualization were carried out with the aid of Nvivo 14 Software. Result: Participants (26 males and 19 females) in this study were aged 21-56 years. Referral rate for physiotherapy was relatively high. There was a good utilization of physiotherapy. There was a significant association between referral rate, utilization and relevance of physiotherapy among stroke multidisciplinary team. Conclusion: Stroke care has advanced and more patients are surviving the acute-stage. In stroke care model, rehabilitation is now considered an integral component of all levels of stroke care.This research has identified a good utilization of physiotherapy and itsrelevance among multidisciplinary team.However,there is a need to improve the knowledge,awareness andeducation regarding physiotherapy and rehabilitation for all cadres of health care workers. Physiotherapist need to be proactive in this area and need the support of health services, training institutions and the government.

Background: Physiotherapy is an essential component of healthcare, yet public understanding of its role remains limited. In Nigeria, physiotherapy remains underutilised partly due to poor awareness and misconceptions about what the profession entails. Many adults in various communities may not seek physiotherapy because they do not know what it is, do not believe it works, or associate it with limited conditions.Purpose: The aim was to assess awareness, perceptions, misconceptions, sources of information, and the relationship between demographic factors and understanding of physiotherapy, by members of the public.Methods: A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire administered to 400 participants, while qualitative insights were obtained from interviews with 10 participants. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and thematic analysis.Results: Findings showed that awareness of physiotherapy was moderate, with many respondents unable to clearly define its scope. Perceptions were generally positive, as participants recognized physiotherapy’s role in stroke rehabilitation, pain management, and mobility restoration. However, misconceptions were widespread, including equating physiotherapy with massage therapy or bone setting and believing that physiotherapy must be painful to be effective. The dominant sources of information were informal (radio/TV, family and friends, community gatherings), while health professionals were less frequently cited. Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between demographic factors (age, gender, education, occupation, religion) and either perception or misconception of physiotherapy. Conclusion: Physiotherapy is moderately known but poorly understood among residents of Egor LGA, with misconceptions cutting across all demographic groups. There is urgent need for structured public education campaigns and increased visibility of physiotherapists in healthcare. It is recommended that health authorities, professional associations, and physiotherapists themselves actively engage in awareness creation to correct misconceptions and promote physiotherapy as a vital part of healthcare delivery in Nigeria