title: Recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms and knowledge about some other aspects of ASD among final year medical students in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Earlier studies suggest that knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among healthcare workers in Nigeria is low. This present study assessed the knowledge of Nigerian final year medical students about symptoms of ASD and some other aspects of ASD. This is a cross sectional descriptive study that drew a total of seven hundred and fifty-seven (757) final year medical students from ten (10) randomly selected fully accredited medical schools out of a total of twenty-seven (27) fully accredited medical schools in Nigeria. Sociodemographic and Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaires were used to assess knowledge of final year medical students about ASD and obtain demographic information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only few, 218 (28.8 %) of the 757 final year medical students had seen and participated in evaluation and management of at least a child with ASD during their clinical postings in pediatrics and psychiatry. Knowledge and recognition of symptoms of ASD is observed to be better among this group of final year medical students as shown by higher mean scores in the four domains of KCAHW questionnaire. Knowledge about ASD varies across gender and regions. Misconceptions about ASD were also observed among the final year medical students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More focus needs to be given to ASD in the curriculum of Nigerian undergraduate medical students, especially during their psychiatry and pediatric clinical postings.
authors.affiliation: Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. mobakare2000@yahoo.com.|Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders Initiatives (CNDI), Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. mobakare2000@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Bakare
authors.affiliation: Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders Initiatives (CNDI), Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. mosunmolaflorence@yahoo.com.|College of Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. mosunmolaflorence@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Tunde-Ayinmode
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Lagos State University Ikeja, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. biodunwuya@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adewuya
authors.affiliation: Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders Initiatives (CNDI), Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. abiolat4eva@yahoo.co.uk.|Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria. abiolat4eva@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bello-Mojeed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. shehusale@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sale
authors.affiliation: Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin City,, Edo State, Nigeria. bawojames@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria. yunusamufutau@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yunusa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. obindot@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Obindo
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. mondayigwe@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Igwe
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. paulodinka@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Odinka
authors.affiliation: College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. dr_chidi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Okafor
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. yewyoshodi@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Y O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Oshodi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. mayorking2001@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Okonoda
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Medicine, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), Boston, MA, USA. kerim.munir@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.affiliation: Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. andreworovwigho@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Orovwigho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D013337:Students, Medical; D055815:Young Adult