Abstract

Continuing professional development (CPD) programmes are important components of professional training to maintain competence. There is insufficient information regarding physiotherapists’ participation in CPD activities in South-Eastern Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the attitude and barriers towards CPD among Physiotherapists in South-Eastern Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey involving 104 clinical Physiotherapists. A self-developed, content validated (CVI = 4.21) and reliable questionnaire (Split Half = 0.83) with 5 domains and 46 items that assessed the types of CPD activities, attitudes, barriers and benefits of physiotherapists towards continuing professional development (CPD) was used. Ethical approval was sought and obtained from the Health and Research Review Board of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square at α = 0.05. A total 104 Physiotherapist, mostly male (53.8%), and aged ≤ 40years (81.7%) participated in this study. They were most likely to attend seminars, congress or scientific meetings/conferences (92.3%), and take part in a research work/ journal publication (76.0%) as CPDs. Majority of them disagreed that topics/subjects of specialization (72.1%) and professional burnout (66.3%) were the barriers to CPDs. Primary place of work was significantly associated with each of CPD activities (X2 = 17.77, p < 0.001), CPD benefits (X2 = 7.48, p = 0.024), and CPD barriers (X2 = 8.23, p = 0.016).There was also a significant association between gender and CPD benefits (X2 = 6.34, p = 0.042), and CPD barriers (X2 = 7.43, p =0.006). Physiotherapists in the Southeastern region of Nigeria have a good attitude towards CPDs. Primary place of work and gender are significantly associated with some measures of CPD activities, benefits of CPD and barriers to CPDs.

       Key words: Continuing Professional Development, Attitudes, Barriers, Benefits, Southeastern Nigeria.