Correlates of Actual and Self-Reported Knowledge and Skills, Attitudes, and Barriers Mitigating Against the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice in Physiotherapy

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) has in the last decade gained global prominence in healthcare professions including physiotherapy. Several studies have been conducted worldwide to determine physiotherapists' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, skills, and resources, and barriers mitigating against the implementation of EBP in physical therapy, but there is limited information on the correlation among actual (competence) and self-report (perceived) knowledge and skills about EBP. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the premise of these associations among 233 Nigerian physiotherapists who completed a previously validated 55-item questionnaire that assessed demographic data, actual and self-report knowledge, skills and resources, attitudes, and barriers about EBP. Result: We found no significant relationship between actual knowledge of EBP and clinical experience (r=.086, p>.05), age (r=.048, p>.05), academic degree (r=.108, p >.05), self-reported knowledge (r=.097, p>.05), and self-reported skills about EBP (r=.095, p>.05). Demographic variables (age, years of clinical experience, and academic degrees) and psychosocial factors (self-reported knowledge, skills and resources, attitudes, and barriers about EBP) are not a significant predictor of actual knowledge of EBP. Conclusion: The physiotherapists perceived that they are competent about EBP but in reality, they are not, and may fail to seek educational resources that will improve their understanding and improve their skills about EBP.