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Awareness and Knowledge of Physiotherapy Among The General Population of Larabanga In Ghana
Summary Introduction: Physiotherapy is a medical science that restores, maintains and strengthens an individual's health and motor skills. It plays an important role not only in rehabilitation but also in prevention. It is crucial that society is aware of the importance of this profession, as this is the only way to benefit from it. The purpose of the study was to determine the awareness and knowledge of the people of Larabanga (Ghana) about physiotherapy. We wanted to find out how they understand physiotherapy, where it is performed, in what areas it works and whether it is needed in Larabanga. Method: Data were collected using a questionnaire adapted from the study questionnaire of the authors Olawale and Adjabeng (2011). The questionnaire measures general knowledge about physiotherapy, the modalities used and the pathologies it addresses. 201 residents of Larabanga participated. Results: The results showed, among other things, that 56% of the participants had no prior knowledge of physiotherapy and 97% would like to have physiotherapy in Larabanga. Discussion: There is a shortage of physiotherapists in Ghana, especially in rural areas, where it is only available in major hospitals. The nearest is in the town of Tamale, 140km away. This could explain the low percentage of the population familiar with physiotherapy. The study from Accra, with which we compared the data, shows a higher knowledge of the general public (68.6%) in the physiotherapy profession than our Larabanga study (44%).