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Assessment of pain neurophysiology knowledge among healthcare students in Bayero University Kano, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

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Τίτλος: Assessment of pain neurophysiology knowledge among healthcare students in Bayero University Kano, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.
Συγγραφείς: Mukhtar NB; Department of Physiotherapy, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria.; Department of Physiotherapy, Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Nigeria.; Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Nigeria., Ali KM; Department of Physiotherapy, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria., Morris LD; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health sector, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. lmorris@qu.edu.qa.
Πηγή: BMC medical education [BMC Med Educ] 2026 Jun 01; Vol. 26 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 01.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101088679 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1472-6920 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14726920 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Med Educ Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Neurophysiology*/education , Pain*/physiopathology , Students, Health Occupations* , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*, Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Nigeria ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires
Περίληψη: Background: Pain Neurophysiology Knowledge (PNK) refers to the understanding of the biological and physiological mechanisms underlying the experience of pain. For healthcare students, a solid grasp of pain neurophysiology is essential for the effective future management of patients experiencing pain, particularly chronic pain. The aim of this study was to assess the level of PNK among healthcare undergraduate students studying Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Optometry, and Physiotherapy at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ) to evaluate PNK among healthcare students at BUK. Whole population sampling was employed to recruit registered healthcare students across the various disciplines at BUK. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) were used to characterize the sample. Differences in scores between the study disciplines and levels of study were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and independent t-tests (IBM SPSS version 23). One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean scores across multiple disciplines and clinical levels where more than two groups were present. Where comparisons involved only two groups, independent samples t-tests were applied. Significance level was set at p < 0.05.
Results: A total of 500 students from the Physiotherapy, Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, and Optometry programs participated. The majority of participants (66.2%) were aged 21-25 years, and 57.2% were male. Medical students represented the largest group (27.0%), and second-year clinical students across disciplines comprised 38% of the sample. The mean PNK score across participants from all disciplines was 6.31, indicating moderate knowledge. Statistically significant differences in PNK across clinical years were observed within the Medicine and Nursing programs (p < 0.05).
Conclusion / Implications: Healthcare students at BUK demonstrated average knowledge of pain neurophysiology. This finding suggests a gap in PNK within the study population, which warrants further investigation to better understand the underlying factors contributing to the moderate knowledge levels observed. Future research should explore potential influences such as curricular content, teaching strategies, clinical exposure, and interprofessional education experiences, as well as institutional and contextual factors that may shape students' understanding of pain neurophysiology.
(© 2026. The Author(s).)
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of BUK (Approval No. NHREC/06/12/19/143). The research adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Consent for publication: Not applicable Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
References: J Pain. 2015 Feb;16(2):144-52. (PMID: 25463698)
BMC Res Notes. 2015 Oct 22;8:592. (PMID: 26493565)
Physiother Theory Pract. 2016 Jul;32(5):332-55. (PMID: 27351541)
J Pain. 2015 Sep;16(9):807-13. (PMID: 26051220)
Pain. 2019 Jan;160(1):19-27. (PMID: 30586067)
Physiother Theory Pract. 2023 Aug 3;39(8):1753-1761. (PMID: 35260038)
S Afr J Physiother. 2019 Aug 14;75(1):683. (PMID: 31535050)
Pain Manag. 2013 Sep;3(5):351-7. (PMID: 24654868)
BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 29;12(6):e062183. (PMID: 35768100)
Physiother Theory Pract. 2025 Dec;41(12):2490-2500. (PMID: 40567025)
J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:777-785. (PMID: 39593676)
Br J Pain. 2025 Apr;19(2):125-137. (PMID: 39726775)
Pain. 2017 Nov;158(11):2092-2107. (PMID: 28767506)
J Pain. 2013 Aug;14(8):818-27. (PMID: 23651882)
BMC Med Educ. 2018 Oct 3;18(1):228. (PMID: 30285804)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 28;21(9):. (PMID: 39338018)
J Pain. 2022 Jan;23(1):1-24. (PMID: 34237464)
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018 Jun 21;19(1):196. (PMID: 30037323)
Disabil Rehabil. 2022 Nov;44(23):7226-7236. (PMID: 34663135)
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 May 14;24(1):625. (PMID: 38745281)
J Man Manip Ther. 2017 Jul;25(3):160-168. (PMID: 28694679)
Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2022 Jul;33(3):241-249. (PMID: 35718393)
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Africa; Bayero University Kano; Chronic Pain; Healthcare Education; Knowledge Assessment; Nigeria; Pain Neurophysiology Knowledge; Pain Neuroscience Education
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260602 Date Completed: 20260804 Latest Revision: 20260813
Update Code: 20260813
PubMed Central ID: PMC13436014
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-09448-5
PMID: 42226284
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Mukhtar+NB%22&quot;&gt;Mukhtar NB&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Physiotherapy, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria.; Department of Physiotherapy, Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Nigeria.; Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Nigeria.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Ali+KM%22&quot;&gt;Ali KM&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Physiotherapy, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Morris+LD%22&quot;&gt;Morris LD&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health sector, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. lmorris@qu.edu.qa.
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  Data: Background: Pain Neurophysiology Knowledge (PNK) refers to the understanding of the biological and physiological mechanisms underlying the experience of pain. For healthcare students, a solid grasp of pain neurophysiology is essential for the effective future management of patients experiencing pain, particularly chronic pain. The aim of this study was to assess the level of PNK among healthcare undergraduate students studying Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Optometry, and Physiotherapy at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Nigeria.&lt;br /&gt;Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ) to evaluate PNK among healthcare students at BUK. Whole population sampling was employed to recruit registered healthcare students across the various disciplines at BUK. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) were used to characterize the sample. Differences in scores between the study disciplines and levels of study were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and independent t-tests (IBM SPSS version 23). One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean scores across multiple disciplines and clinical levels where more than two groups were present. Where comparisons involved only two groups, independent samples t-tests were applied. Significance level was set at p &amp;lt; 0.05.&lt;br /&gt;Results: A total of 500 students from the Physiotherapy, Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, and Optometry programs participated. The majority of participants (66.2%) were aged 21-25 years, and 57.2% were male. Medical students represented the largest group (27.0%), and second-year clinical students across disciplines comprised 38% of the sample. The mean PNK score across participants from all disciplines was 6.31, indicating moderate knowledge. Statistically significant differences in PNK across clinical years were observed within the Medicine and Nursing programs (p &amp;lt; 0.05).&lt;br /&gt;Conclusion / Implications: Healthcare students at BUK demonstrated average knowledge of pain neurophysiology. This finding suggests a gap in PNK within the study population, which warrants further investigation to better understand the underlying factors contributing to the moderate knowledge levels observed. Future research should explore potential influences such as curricular content, teaching strategies, clinical exposure, and interprofessional education experiences, as well as institutional and contextual factors that may shape students&#39; understanding of pain neurophysiology.&lt;br /&gt; (&#169; 2026. The Author(s).)
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  Data: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of BUK (Approval No. NHREC/06/12/19/143). The research adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Consent for publication: Not applicable Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
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  Label: References
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  Data: J Pain. 2015 Feb;16(2):144-52. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2225463698%22&quot;&gt;25463698)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;BMC Res Notes. 2015 Oct 22;8:592. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2226493565%22&quot;&gt;26493565)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Physiother Theory Pract. 2016 Jul;32(5):332-55. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2227351541%22&quot;&gt;27351541)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Pain. 2015 Sep;16(9):807-13. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2226051220%22&quot;&gt;26051220)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pain. 2019 Jan;160(1):19-27. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2230586067%22&quot;&gt;30586067)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Physiother Theory Pract. 2023 Aug 3;39(8):1753-1761. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2235260038%22&quot;&gt;35260038)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;S Afr J Physiother. 2019 Aug 14;75(1):683. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2231535050%22&quot;&gt;31535050)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pain Manag. 2013 Sep;3(5):351-7. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2224654868%22&quot;&gt;24654868)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 29;12(6):e062183. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2235768100%22&quot;&gt;35768100)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Physiother Theory Pract. 2025 Dec;41(12):2490-2500. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2240567025%22&quot;&gt;40567025)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:777-785. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239593676%22&quot;&gt;39593676)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Br J Pain. 2025 Apr;19(2):125-137. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239726775%22&quot;&gt;39726775)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pain. 2017 Nov;158(11):2092-2107. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2228767506%22&quot;&gt;28767506)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Pain. 2013 Aug;14(8):818-27. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2223651882%22&quot;&gt;23651882)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;BMC Med Educ. 2018 Oct 3;18(1):228. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2230285804%22&quot;&gt;30285804)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 28;21(9):. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2239338018%22&quot;&gt;39338018)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Pain. 2022 Jan;23(1):1-24. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2234237464%22&quot;&gt;34237464)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018 Jun 21;19(1):196. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2230037323%22&quot;&gt;30037323)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Disabil Rehabil. 2022 Nov;44(23):7226-7236. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2234663135%22&quot;&gt;34663135)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 May 14;24(1):625. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2238745281%22&quot;&gt;38745281)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;J Man Manip Ther. 2017 Jul;25(3):160-168. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2228694679%22&quot;&gt;28694679)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2022 Jul;33(3):241-249. (PMID: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PM&quot; term=&quot;%2235718393%22&quot;&gt;35718393)&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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