• Chigozie Uchenwoke Ikenna, Chidimma Ofodum Mirian, Chinonso Nwachukwu Paul, Christiana Osuoha Onyekachi, Kenechukwu Okonkwo Kingsley, and Lynda Anih Chidera.
• Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria. www.unn.edu.ng.
• Afr Health Sci. 2022 Jun 1; 22 (2): 573580573-580.

PurposeThis study is aimed to identify factors influencing patient's adherence to treatment in a bid to characterize the extent to which these factors are considered while developing a treatment schedule for patients with cerebral palsy in Nigeria.MethodsDescriptive cross-sectional study of physiotherapists involved in the care of patients with cerebral palsy. Factors influencing treatment adherence were assessed using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire. Participants were sampled from physiotherapists working at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu State, Nigeria. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of percentage and frequencies.ResultsA total of fifty three (31 males and 22 females) physiotherapists completed and returned the questionnaire. Participants (84.9%) agreed that patients occasionally forget to meet up with their appointment days; with majority of them agreeing that distance to the clinic and economic factor (cost of treatment and transportation) influence patient's adherence to treatment. Presence/absence of a caregiver and relationship between patients and their physiotherapist are also important factors influencing patient's treatment schedules.ConclusionDistance to the clinic when compared to other (economic, patient-therapist relationship) factors is the major barrier to patient's adherence to treatment and therefore should be considered while developing treatment schedules for patients with cerebral palsy.© 2022 Ikenna CU et al.

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