title: Comparison of the knowledge and perception of physiotherapy by medical students of the institutions with and without physiotherapy training programme.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the knowledge and perception of physiotherapy by medical students of two institutions, one (i.e. University of Lagos - UL) with and the other (i.e. Lagos State University - LSU) without physiotherapy training programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 193 undergraduate medical students (UL = 96, LSU = 97) participated in this survey by completing a 26-item closed-ended questionnaire with a response rate of 96%. The questionnaire included information on personal characteristics, general knowledge and perception of physiotherapy. Chi-square statistics, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine significant differences between variables at 95% confident interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents from UL (medical school with physiotherapy training facility) were significantly knowledgeable (p<0.05) and at all Levels of the clinical years (p<0.05) than those from LSU (medical school with no physiotherapy training facility). Also their perception of physiotherapy was significantly (p<0.05) better than those from LSU, particularly in the 600Level (i.e. final year). While there was no gender difference in knowledge, the males from UL had significantly better perception of Physiotherapy (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical students from UL had better knowledge and perception of physiotherapy than those from LSU. The low level of knowledge and perception of medical students of LSU about physiotherapy may be due to the absence of physiotherapy training in LSU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos. femiodebiyi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Odebiyi
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Aiyejusunle
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Alonge
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Olalekan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010465:Perception; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult