Open AccessKNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERCEIVED PRACTICE TOWARDS ASTHMA AMONG PHARMACY STUDENTS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA
Author(s) -
Kosisochi Chinwendu Amorha,
Chioma Love Okpe,
Obinna Felix Dim
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences/international journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2656-0097
pISSN - 0975-1491
DOI - 10.22159/ijpps.2018v10i11.27404
Subject(s) - pharmacy , asthma , medicine , family medicine , statistical significance , medical education , perception , statistical analysis , psychology , mathematics , statistics , neuroscience
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and perceived practice of asthma among final year pharmacy students in Southern Nigeria.Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in six pharmacy schools in Southern Nigeria. A 49-item structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the final year pharmacy students. Data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Product for Services Solution (SPSS) for Windows, Version 21.0. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.Results: Overall, less than half of the students had good knowledge of asthma (47.7%); good attitudes towards asthma (49.5%); and good perception of the roles of pharmacists in counselling asthma patients (48.1%). SIWES/IT (Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme/Industrial Training) improved students’ asthma knowledge (t = 3.119; df = 453; P = 0.002). The University of Lagos (UNILAG) pharmacy students had significantly better asthma knowledge than their University of Uyo (UNIUYO), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) counterparts (P<0.05).Conclusion: Less than half of the pharmacy students had good knowledge of asthma; good attitudes towards asthma and good perception of the roles of pharmacists in counselling asthma patients. UNILAG pharmacy students had significantly better asthma knowledge than most of the other schools. Students who had SIWES/IT experience (Students’ Industrial Working Experience Scheme/Industrial Training) had better asthma knowledge. The SIWES/IT programme should continue.