Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain among Physiotherapy Students

Abstract

Background: Low back pain is one of the most common conditions seen by physiotherapists and other health professionals. Managing this condition is important clinically. Studies have found health care professionals with positive attitudes and proper knowledge more likely to provide patients with evidence based care. The objectives were to determine the level of knowledge of pain and attitudes and beliefs towards patients with chronic low back pain among physiotherapy students and find the correlation between them. \nMethods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 75 physiotherapy students of Ahmedabad included by convenience sampling. Two questionnaires-Health Care Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) for measuring attitudes and beliefs about pain and the Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) for knowledge of pain were used. Spearmans tests correlated data with p<0.05. \nResults: The study had a 100% response rate. The mean correct NPQ score was 5.86(±1.98). The mean correct score for HC-PAIR was 67.35(±1.98). Knowledge of scores had a low inverse relationship (r=-.283, p=0.04) with scores for attitudes and beliefs towards patients with chronic low back pain. \nConclusion: There is a lack of knowledge of pain among physiotherapy students with a low correlation with attitudes and beliefs towards patients with chronic low back pain. Results have shown a significant association between knowledge of pain and attitudes and beliefs towards patients with chronic low back pain. Studies about improving the knowledge of pain may be conducted to see change in these attitudes and beliefs.