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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about the Traditional Bone Setters among Health Workersi n Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria
Abstract
The practice of traditional bone setters can no longer be denied in this environment as some of the complications resulting from their treatment are still seen commonly in orthopaedic surgical practice.
This study was undertaken at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria to find out about knowledge, attitude and practice about the traditional bone setters (TBS) among health workers. A pre-tested questionnaire was distributed among the health workers through their heads of departments for ease of collection. The response rate was 88.2% with a male to female ratio of 1:1.7.
88.1% were aware of the TBS practice in our environment and 32.7% got to know about them through the mass media; constituting the greatest percentage proportion. Only 19.6% of the respondents claimed the knowledge of how traditional bone setters acquired their skills, 73.6% of these responded that it was innately acquired. While most of the respondents assessed their care as inadequate and that they should not be allowed to treat patients with fractures; 12.9% believed that the TBS possessed special powers to treat fractures that is lacking in orthopaedic surgeons. Health assistants were the most likely to be believe in the possession of such powers.
It was recommended that the TBS should be banned from unvented access to the use of the mass media. Within the hospital environment, there is need to organize regular update or instructional lectures for health workers, especially the health assistants who are most likely to give wrong interpretations to events surrounding the patient treatment by the orthodox practitioners.
(Key words: Chronic suppurative otitis media, Pseudomonas aerugi nosa, Hearing loss).
Sahel Med. J. Vol.6(3) 2003: 79-82
This study was undertaken at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria to find out about knowledge, attitude and practice about the traditional bone setters (TBS) among health workers. A pre-tested questionnaire was distributed among the health workers through their heads of departments for ease of collection. The response rate was 88.2% with a male to female ratio of 1:1.7.
88.1% were aware of the TBS practice in our environment and 32.7% got to know about them through the mass media; constituting the greatest percentage proportion. Only 19.6% of the respondents claimed the knowledge of how traditional bone setters acquired their skills, 73.6% of these responded that it was innately acquired. While most of the respondents assessed their care as inadequate and that they should not be allowed to treat patients with fractures; 12.9% believed that the TBS possessed special powers to treat fractures that is lacking in orthopaedic surgeons. Health assistants were the most likely to be believe in the possession of such powers.
It was recommended that the TBS should be banned from unvented access to the use of the mass media. Within the hospital environment, there is need to organize regular update or instructional lectures for health workers, especially the health assistants who are most likely to give wrong interpretations to events surrounding the patient treatment by the orthodox practitioners.
(Key words: Chronic suppurative otitis media, Pseudomonas aerugi nosa, Hearing loss).
Sahel Med. J. Vol.6(3) 2003: 79-82
