| Awareness of physiotherapy students of Benha University regarding the role of Physical Therapy in achieving Sustainable Development Goals |
| Paper ID : 1020-ISCSR3 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Esraa Zakarya Mohamed *1, Mazin Mohamed Fathi2, Hager Moner Mohamed3, Hania Hazem Hassan4, Sara Khairy Abdelazeem5, Omar Mostafa Tolba2, Mohamed Hamed Eid4 1Fourth year student at faculty of physical therapy benha university 23rd year student at faculty of physical therapy benha university 34th year student at faculty of physical therapy benha university 44th year student at faculty of physical therapy benha university 55th year student at faculty of physical therapy benha university |
| Abstract |
| Background Physical therapy plays a key role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) by promoting health and enhancing work capacity. However, limited research has explored physiotherapy students' awareness of this role. This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitudes of physiotherapy students at Banha University regarding the contributions of physical therapy to achieving the SDGs. Methods A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from December 6, 2024, to January 6, 2025, among 333 physiotherapy students at Banha University, Egypt. The questionnaire was developed based on three validated studies and modified for context. It consisted of 17 questions divided into three sections: demographics (5 questions), general knowledge of sustainable development (5 questions), and the role of physical therapy in achieving SDGs (7 questions). Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were used to assess the questionnaire’s validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 28. Results A total of 333 undergraduate physical therapy students participated (70% females, mean age 21.1±2.1 years). Nearly half (53.5%) had heard of sustainable development, while only 9.9% attended related non-academic courses. Overall knowledge of sustainable development was low (median score 2.0, IQR: 1.0–3.0), with only 19.2% identifying the United Nations as the organization behind SDGs and 12% knowing the number of goals. Awareness of physical therapy’s role in sustainable development was generally high (median attitude score 29.0, IQR: 26.0–31.0). Knowledge and attitude scores were significantly higher among students who have heard about sustainable development (p<0.001 and p=0.041) and those who attended SDG courses (p=0.007 and p=0.002). No significant differences were found based on gender, age, or academic year. Conclusion Students generally had a high awareness of the role of physical therapy in sustainable development, but they demonstrated a lack of knowledge about sustainable development itself. |
| Keywords |
| Awareness, Physiotherapy, Students, Sustainable development goals. |
| Status: Abstract Accepted |