Department of Physiotherapy
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Item Learning with technology in physiotherapy education: Design, implementation and evaluation of a flipped classroom teaching approach(BMC, 219) Røe, Yngve; Rowe, Michael; Ødegaard, Nina B.The purpose of the study was to describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a flipped classroom teaching approach in physiotherapy education. The flipped classroom is a blended learning approach in which students receive digital lectures as homework, while active learning activities are used in the classroom. Flipped classroom teaching enables a learning environment that aims to develop higher-order cognitive skills. The study design was a historically controlled, prospective, cohort study. An eight week theoretical course on musculoskeletal disorders was redesigned, moving from a conventional approach to a flipped classroom model. Pre-class learning material consisted of about 12 h of video lectures and other digital learning resources that were split up over the duration of the course. In-class activities consisted of seven full-day seminars where students worked in groups in order to solve problem-based assignments. The assignments were designed to reflect authentic clinical problems and required critical thinking and reasoning. Outcomes were measured with coursegrades and compared with historical controls of conventional teaching, using descriptive statistics. Self-perceived learning outcomes and students’ experiences were also collected in a survey.Item What clinical competencies do we expect from physiotherapy students at the University of the Western Cape?(Aosis, 1998) Simuzingili, Tyson; Amosun, Seyi LadeleThe purpose o f this study is to identify the clinical competencies that are expected o f physiotherapy students at the University o f the Western Cape. A list o fte n categories o f clinical competencies was first compiled from the literature and administered to 2 lecturers, 5 clinical supervisors and 10 fin a l year students, to elicit their perspectives o f expected clinical competencies. Based on the outcome o f this, a list o f eight categories o f competencies was administered to 7 lecturers, 50 clinical supervisors and 31 fin a l year students. Participants were requested to rank the competencies in order o f what was considered to be essential. The analysis o f 79 responses revealed similarities among lecturers, clinical supervisors and students in the ranking o f three competencies, but disparities in the ranking o f fiv e competencies. Reasons fo r the disparities, and the impact o f the disparities on students are discussed. Further research is recommended to identify the reasons fo r the disparities.Item Injury surveillance in Taekwondo and Judo during physiotherapy coverage of the seventh All Africa Games(AOSIS, 2001) Phillips, Julie; Frantz, Jose M.; Amosun, Seyi Ladele; Weitz, W.OBJECTIVE: To obtain data relating to the incidence of injuries s stained during taekwondo and judo competitions at the 7th All Africa Games. Methods: Prospective recording of injuries sustained by athletes who sought physiotherapy services at the games. Details of type of injury, injury sites and injury severity were obtained. RESULTS: Seventy athletes out of 390 participants reported injuries. The overall injury risk ratio was 0.18. Injuries reported were strains/sprains (65,6%), bruises/contusions (16.1%) and dislocations or fractures (12,9%). The upper limbs were more commonly injured. Of the injuries sustained, approximately 18%, 69% and 13% were respectively classified as mild, moderate and severe injuries. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of moderate to severe injuries highlights the need for injury prevention programs and the presence of medical staff at major tournaments in order to make early diagnosis and appropriate intervention.Item The development of a multidimensional instrument to assess the severity, functional limitation and psychosocial restriction in individuals with chronic headache(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Diener, Ina JH; Amosun, Seyi LadeleHeadache disorders constitute a public-health problem which impacts on individuals and society. The functional limitation and psychosocial restriction, caused by chronic headache, may be a more reliable indication of the severity of the disorder than the pain intensity and temporal headache pattern itself. Evaluation of all these parameters may improve health care for individuals suffering from chronic headache. The ultimate purpose of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional questionnaire to assess the severity and impact of headache in individuals suffering from chronic headache. The study was carried out in six phases, each stage building on the previous ones. A quantitative retrospective review of 450 patients' clinical files was executed to identify the elements of complaint of these patients. This was followed by a literature review of existing headache-related health measures and construction of a theoretical framework for the study. A questionnaire was developed based on these findings. This questionnaire was then tested for face and content validity in a chronic headache population sample (n=60) and physiotherapists working with these patients (n=18). The questionnaire was further refined by a small qualitative study, making use of small group discussions (n=10). After the suggested modifications were made, the Multidimensional Chronic Headache Questionnaire (MCHQ) was tested for stability in a group of chronic headache patients (n=21), who completed the questionnaire twice with a one-week intervening period with no intervention. It was then tested for responsiveness, where patients completed the questionnaire prior to, and after, an episode of treatment. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum Test was used to detect significant differences (and hence responsiveness). Lastly, all the MCHQ's (n=148) that were completed during the course of the study were analised to establish the homogeneity of item content (Chronbach alpha values), and the construct validity of the instrument in terms of item structure (exploratory factor analysis). The retrospective review of patients' perceptions of the severity and impact of their chronic headache indicated that many of the patients experienced moderate to severe limitation of function and psychosocial restriction. Although many domains of headache-related health were represented in published questionnaires reviewed for this study, no instrument that assesses both the perceived severity and a wide range of impact was found. The MCHQ was developed from this study to measure these parameters. The items in the questionnaire were based on the retrospective study and existing questionnaires utilised in the chronic headache population. The face and content validity of the first draft of the instrument was found to be good. The stability of the questionnaire was very good, with Pearson's correlation coefficients of greater than 0.9334 for all repeated items. Responsiveness was very good, with all items found to be responsive to change (with probability values of p0.6647), and preliminary construct validity was suggested by demonstration of eight distinct factors that were clearly interpretable (one in the severity and seven in the impact domain). These suggested that severity is unidimensional, and that seven dimensions of impact are assessed in the MCHQ (functional limitations, two emotional dimensions, relationship restrictions, and three headache trigger dimensions). Positive linear correlations between severity and impact suggested that the higher the severity, the more severe the impact on the individual's quality of life (r=0.5183; p<.OOOI). These tests suggested preliminary construct validity for the questionnaire. The researcher concluded that severe and frequent headache has a considerable impact on the individual and that the multiple facets of headache-related health can be measured appropriately using this instrument. The Multidimensional Chronic Headache Questionnaire is a new instrument to assess headache-related health in terms of both severity and multidimensional impact on individuals, which can be utilised in a once-off health assessment as well as an outcome measure for therapy.Item Toxicological and antifertility investigations of oleanolic acid in male vervet monkeys (chlorocebus aethiops)(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Mdhluli, Mongezi; van der Horst, GerhardIntroduction: Plant extracts and herbal preparations are often marketed as natural and safe alternatives to conventional medicines for the prevention and treatment of a variety of ailments, without proof of efficacy and safety. Cardiovascular, hematopoetic, hepatic and renal impairment resulting from the use of conventional drugs is widely acknowledged. However, there is less awareness of the potential toxicity of herbal preparations and other botanicals, many of which are widely perceived by the public as being effective and harmless, and are commonly used for self medication without supervision. In addition, potential interactions between herbal medicines and conventional drugs may compromise with patient management. In the safety evaluation of most substances, non human primates are preferred to rodent species for preclinical animal safety studies, because of their biological similarity to humans. They are regarded to be the best metabolic models for humans in a broad range of investigations. Additionally, a disadvantage of using small animal species in toxicological testing is that they require higher doses of drugs and more frequent administrations than in larger species. In light of these considerations, vervet monkeys are used here to investigate toxicity of a plant-derived triterpene, oleanolic acid. The focus is to determine effects of different concentrations of this triterpene on the cardiovascular, hematopoetic, hepatic and renal systems. Materials and methods: 12 male vervet monkeys used in this study were equally divided into four groups, i.e. three treatment groups (4, 10 and 25 mg/kg bodyweight), and one control group. Each individual in a treatment group received a specified concentration of oleanolic acid in food for 16 weeks. Monkeys in the control group received the vehicle (food) alone. Bodyweight, body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and mean arterial pressure were recorded from ketamine-anaethetized monkeys at baseline and every second week until week 16.Item Physical inactivity among high school learners in Belhar - a public health concern(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Frantz, José Merle; Amosun, S.L.; Travill, Andre; Dept. of Physiotherapy; Faculty of Community and Health SciencesFor many decades, the World Health Organisation had highlighted the growing importance of chronic non-communicable diseases in developed and developing countries, with an increase in lifestyle-related diseases. Physical inactivity has been identified as one of the risk factors, in addition to other leading risk factors like diet, and the use of tobacco and alcohol, contributing to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Based on the researcher's observations while living in Belhar community for more then ten years, it was hypothesized that the level of physical inactivity among adolescents could become a public health problem in the future if not addressed immediately.Item Perceived constraints to physical activity among paramedical institution students in Uganda(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Nizeyimana, Eugene; Phillips, Julie; Dept. of Physiotherapy; Faculty of Community and Health SciencesResearch has clearly shown that all individuals will benefit from regular physical activity. Unfortunately, young adults including college and university students are not physically active on a regular basis worldwide. In the developing world particularly in Sub- Saharan Africa, physical inactivity along with tobacco use, poor diet and nutrition are increasingly parts of today’s lifestyle. Physical activity declines with age and the most important decline appear to be during the transition period from high school to university and during university years. The aim of this study was to assess the level of physical activity, to investigate the perceived constraints to physical activity and to determine whether socio-demographic characteristic have an influence on participation in physical activity and perceived constraints to physical activity among paramedical institutions students in Uganda. A cross-sectional study with descriptive quantitative design was conducted. Four hundred (400) paramedical institution students were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire adopted from the literature was used to collect the data. A response rate of 90% was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistics using the statistical package for social sciences were used to analyze the data. The relationships and associations between different variables were determined by carrying out significant tests using chi-square tests. Alpha level was set at 0.05. The mean age of the sample was 22.44 years (SD = 2.03). Males constituted 73.9% and females constituted 26.1% of the sample. Students from eight (8) health professional courses participated in the study. Over half (59%) of participants were classified as physically active and 41% were classified as inactive or sedentary. For male participants, lack of the right equipment to exercise and wanting to do other things in their free time were perceived as the major constraints to physical activity. For female participants, lack of motivation and tiredness after exercise were perceived as the major constraints to physical activity. The findings of this study demonstrate that there is an influence of socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, year of the study and different departments/schools on participation in physical activity and perceived constraints to physical activity. They also indicate the need of health promotion intervention aiming at promoting physical activity among paramedical institution students in Uganda.Item The physical needs of the elderly with regard to physiotherapy services in the Livingstone District, Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Malambo, Pasmore; Marais, M.R; Dept. of Physiotherapy; Faculty of Community and Health SciencesThe purpose of this study was to identify the physical needs of the elderly with regard to physiotherapy services in the Livingstone district in Zambia. The objectives were to determine the knowledge of the elderly on the role of physiotherapy in the care of the elderly; the barriers to utilization of the services; the prevalence of physical problems and it also examined associations between education, knowledge and utilization of physiotherapy services in the district.Item The need for physiotherapy support for teachers in inclusive education for the inclusion of learners with physical disabilities in selected schools in Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Kashimba, Sally Salome; Struthers, P.; Dept. of Physiotherapy; Faculty of Economics and Management SciencesThe purpose of the study was to explore the need for physiotherapy support for teachers in selected inclusive schools in Zambia. The study aimed to determine teachers skills and teachers attitudes as they included learners with physical disabilities in their classrooms.Item Health risk behaviours among black adolescent females in the Strand: A mixed- method investigation(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Phillips, Joliana Selma; Malcolm, C; Amosun, S.LIn South Africa there are currently 44.8 million people under the age of 20 years accounting for approximately 44% of the total South African population. Literature has indicated a number of lifestyle behaviors which account for most of the mortality, morbidity and social problems in adolescents. These behaviors include tobacco uses, unhealthy dietary behaviors, physical inactivity, alcohol and other drug use, risky sexual behaviors, and behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injuries. Adolescent women are profoundly affected by a number of health risks related to their behavior. Many of these also affect their male peers such as smoking, drinking, use of other drugs, and violence, but have a special effect on women because of either higher prevalence or a relationship to other risks. Another set of risky behaviors are those uniquely linked to women's reproductive potential. The health of young people today, and the adults they will become, is critically linked to the health related behaviors they choose to adopt. It is thus vitally important for health professionals to address adolescent health issues with targeted health-related interventions and effective health-promoting programmes. The heightened adverse health effects of many risk behaviors for adolescent women and the unique risks associated with being female point to the need for gender-specific prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to investigate health risk behaviours among black female high school learners. The study used a mixed method approach, specifically the sequential explanatory strategy. Quantitative data was collected using two self-administered questionnaires assessing six domains of health risk behaviours including cigarette use, alcohol use, drug use, sexual activity, behaviours leading to violence and behaviours related to physical activity.Item Health promotion needs of physically disabled individuals with lower limb amputation in Rwanda(Taylor and Francis, 2005) Amosun, Seyi Ladele; Mutimura, Eugene; Frantz, Jose M.PURPOSE. The objectives of the study were to identify the health-related behaviors among physically disabled individuals with lower limb amputation resident in Rwanda, the factors that influenced these behaviors, and the major issues that should be targeted in health promotion programs for physically disabled individuals with lower limb amputation. METHOD. A cross-sectional survey, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire, was carried out among 334 lower limb amputees who volunteered to take part in the study. In addition, a sub-sample of 15 participants was purposively selected for in-depth face-to-face interviews. RESULTS. Many participants did not engage in physical exercises (64.7%). Others abused alcohol on daily basis (14.4%), smoked 11 – 20 cigarettes daily (13.2%), and used recreational drugs such as marijuana, opium and cocaine (9.6%). There were significant associations between the age group of the participants and participation in exercises (P=0.001), and consuming alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs (P = 0.001). In-depth interviews revealed factors influencing the behavior of participants. CONCLUSIONS. Participants were found to be at risk of secondary complications because of poor lifestyle choices. There is a need to develop and promote wellness-enhancing behaviors in order to enhance the health status of physically disabled individuals in Rwanda who have lower limb amputations.Item Physical inactivity as one of the chronic disease risk factors among high school learners in public schools in a local community in South Africa(Stellenbosch University, 2006) Frantz, Jose M.This study aimed to determine the physical activity levels and existence of risk factors associated with chronic diseases of lifestyle among high school learners. A crosssectional research design was used to obtain information about physical activity levels from 951 learners from two high schools in a local community in the Western Province of South Africa. Physical activity levels were obtained using the KUOPIO Ischaemic Heart Disease 24-hour physical activity record over a seven-day period. Anthropometrical and blood pressure measurements as well as behaviours including cigarette smoking and alcohol use were recorded as risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (2000). Risk factors were identified as obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and hypertension. Variance of analysis (ANOVA) was used to statistically determine differences in groups. The results indicated that 32% of the learners were classified as being physically inactive and that 21% engaged in health risk behaviours. In addition, 35% of the learners had more than one risk factor for chronic diseases of lifestyle present. Since cardiovascular risk factors have been shown to persist into adulthood, health professionals should assume some responsibility for the prevention, detection, and intervention relevant to cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents.Item Concerns about physical inactivity among adolescents in the Strand, South Africa(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Phillips, JulieINTRODUCTION: Strong evidence exist to support the assumption that regular physical activity is one of the most cost effective interventions for the prevention and management of chronic diseases of lifestyle, and should therefore be widely promoted. However, concerns about physical inactivity among adolescents have been raised in various countries. The levels of habitual physical activity among urbanized South Africans seems no better than what obtains in similarly urbanized populations in other countries. Objective: The aim of the study was to highlight the type of recreational physical activities, as well as the frequency and duration in which learners from the four high schools (n=1042) in the Strand, Western Cape participated in. Objective: The aim of the study was to highlight the type of recreational physical activities, as well as the frequency and duration in which learners from the four high schools (n=1042) in the Strand, Western Cape participated in. METHODOLOGY: The instrument utilized was a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the one developed by the South Australian Branch of Sports Medicine to determine recreational activities in school children. RESULTS: A high proportion of learners were found to be involved in different recreational physical activities, which included rugby, soccer, netball and walking. However, learners were not participating at a level at which the health benefits of participation could be maximized. DISCUSSION: The outcome of the current study suggests that it is unlikely that the learners maximized the health benefits of participation in physical activities. They may thus be prone to the possibilities of developing chronic diseases of lifestyle. CONCLUSION: High school learners should routinely be informed about the importance of incorporating physical activity into their lives.Item Influence of previous participation in physical activity on its perceptions among tertiary institution students(Africa Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation,Sport and Dance/LAM Publications Limited, 2006) Tumusiime, David; Frantz, Jose M.Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of the major non-communicable diseases, which contribute substantially to the global burden of diseases, death and disability. The burden of mortality, morbidity and disability attributable to non-communicable diseases is currently greatest and is continually growing in the developing countries. Most declines in physical activity (PA) occur during the transition period when a person goes from high school to College or University. The objectives of this study were to identify perceived benefits of and barriers to PA and determine whether previous participation in PA does have an influence on these perceptions. A cross- sectional and descriptive study with quantitative design was conducted. Five hundred (500) tertiary institution students were randomly sampled from purposively selected departments and classes at each of the five government educational tertiary institutions in Rwanda. A pre-coded self-administered questionnaire with a small number of open-ended questions was administered to the students. A response rate of 425 (85%) was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, by means of SAS version 8 software. Frequencies and percentages for mean score values with standard deviations for each perception variable were descriptively obtained. False Discovery Rate (FDR) at 5% for multiple test adjustment and Spearman’s correlation (r) tests were used to identify the significant influence of previous participation on perceptions. More than 70% students were not participating in PA at tertiary level. Psychological benefits of PA were some of the most important perceived benefits cited by the students. Most of the important barriers cited concerned equipment and time constraints to exercising. Associations were found between previous participation and the current perceptions of PA. The findings of this study demonstrate that previous participation can influence perceptions of PA among the students. Physical activity promotion programmes should consider the role of these factors which should be emphasised from childhood.Item Perceived constraints to physical activity among students at paramedical institutions in Uganda(LAM Publications Limited, 2006) Nizeamana, E.; Phillips, JulieIn the developing world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, physical inactivity along with tobacco use, poor diet and nutrition are increasingly parts of today’s lifestyle. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of physical activity, and to investigate perceived constraints to physical activity among students in paramedical institutions in Uganda. A self-administered questionnaire adapted from the literature was administered to 400 students. The results indicated that 59% of participants were classified as physically active and 41% as sedentary. Males were significantly more active than females. For male participants, “lack of the right equipment to exercise” and “wanting to do other things in their free time” were perceived as the major constraints to physical activity. For female participants, “lack of motivation” and “tiredness after exercise” were perceived as the major constraints to physical activity. Thus, recommendations to eliminate these specific constraints and increase physical activity of paramedical institution students are offered. The findings of this study demonstrate that there is an influence of socio-demographic characteristics on participation in physical activity and perceived constraints to physical activity. The findings further indicate the need of health promotion intervention aiming at promoting physical activity among paramedical institution students in Uganda.Item Rehabilitation of stroke patients treated at a community based rehabilitation centre(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Rhoda, Anthea; Hendry, JennyAIM: The overall aim of the study was to compile a profile of stroke patients receiving out-patient rehabilitation in the community. Included in the profile was the referral and rehabilitation process. METHOD: The study design was descriptive, utilizing a retrospective survey of patient documentation. Patient records were used to collate the data. RESULTS: Records of 168 patients were included in the study. A large percentage (55.9%) of the patients were referred by primary level sources. Thirty three percent of the patients were assessed within their first two weeks post-stroke. Sixty nine percent of the patients received rehabilitation for less than 3 months with an average of one treatment session per week. Results indicate an improvement in functional status of the patients when comparing admission and discharge scores (p=< 0.0005). CONCLUSION: Out-patient community based rehabilitation could have a positive effect on the functional status of stroke patients.Item Stress and smoking among university students at the University of the Western Cape(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Frantz, Jose M.INTRODUCTION: Stress is one of the most commonly reported reasons for smoking and generally smokers are perceived to experience more stress than non-smokers. Reducing stress may thus be an important part of smoking cessation. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of smoking and stress among university students attending the University of the Western Cape. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey study design was used to describe and identify smoking habits of university students as well as their stress levels. The data was captured on Excel and SPSS was used to analyse the data. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred and twelve university students. Setting: Students enrolled at six faculties at the University of the Western Cape. Intervention: Self-answered questionnaire RESULTS: Slightly more than half (53%) of the students had smoked previously but only, 61% of these reported having smoked in the last month (current smokers). Females reported to experience more stress than males (stress score 21.6 vs 16.6). The main reasons for smoking included helping to relax, just enjoying smoking , coping with stress and smoking because friends smoke. CONCLUSION: Students need to know that increased stress levels are associated with smoking. Groups at higher risk are: those being older than 30 years; female; of the coloured ethnic group; in the fourth year of study and studying in the law faculty .Item Experiences of caregivers of stroke patients in Lusaka, Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Khondowe, Oswell; Mpofu, Ratie; Rhoda, AntheaINTRODUCTION: Stroke is a major cause of death and most survivors are left with residual disability and are dependent on others for essential care. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to determine the experiences of informal caregivers of stroke patients receiving out-patient physiotherapy treatment at the University Teaching hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. METHODS: Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect data in the present study. PARTICIPANTS: A convenient sample of 70 caregivers was selected for the quantitative part of the study while 10 caregivers were purposively selected for the in-depth qualitative interviews. Setting: Out-patients at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia INTERVENTION: The Caregiver Strain Index was used to collect quantitative data and in-depth interviews provided the qualitative data. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 37.6 years. The study sample consisted of more females (70%) than males (30%). Financial constraints, family adjustments and being overwhelmed by their care-giving role were the experiences mostly highlighted by the caregivers in this study CONCLUSION: Caregivers are important role players in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. It is therefore important that rehabilitation professionals are aware of the experiences of these caregivers so that their needs could also be addressed when managing the stroke patientItem Sexual risk behaviour among female school adolescents in a local community in the Western Cape, South Africa(LAM Publications Limited, 2006) Phillips, Julie; Malcolm, C.Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa are faced with a changeover from adolescence to adulthood shadowed by the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic sweeping through the African continent. With this growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa it is important to understand the behaviours that place youth at risk of HIV/AIDS, other STDs and unwanted pregnancies in order to develop and to implement appropriate health-promoting interventions. The prevalence of self-reported sexual risk behaviours of high school girls was investigated at three high schools in the Strand, Western Cape. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Statistical methods of data analysis included cross-tabulations using the Chi-square test for association between sexual risk behaviours and socio-demographic variables. The study sample consisted of 801 female high school learners aged 13-19 years (X=15.75 years, SD = 1.57). Twenty-seven percent of the learners reported being sexually active with 3.6% reporting sexual intercourse onset before 14 years of age. Forty-five percent reported having had more than one sexual partner and 50% of the sample reported no condom use. More than 5% of the learners had already been pregnant. Most learners (78.9%) indicated that they had been informed about HIV/AIDS at school, and 82.5% indicated that they are aware of the consequences of unprotected sex. Results of the study confirm that many female high school learners are engaging in sexual risk behaviours despite risk knowledge. The results emphasise the need to provide learners with targeted information and skills at an early age.Item Barriers to utilisation of physiotherapy services among the elderly in the Livingstone district, Zambia(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Malambo, Pasmore; Marais, Margaret R.AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers to utilisation of physiotherapy services among elderly people in Zambia. METHODS: By means of a convenience sampling technique, 200 elderly people, both males and females aged 60 years and above, were recruited from the Livingstone District in Zambia. A structured questionnaire, developed from literature, was used for collecting data. The Excel software programme and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) were used for the capturing and analyses of the data, using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. RESULTS: The factors that influenced the utilization of physiotherapy services by the participants were: non-referral to the service, long distances, transport, unavailability of the service in the communities and lack of awareness of physiotherapy. Income was significantly associated (p<0.05) with their inability to go for physiotherapy services. DISCUSSION: The results of this study show that physiotherapy services are not meeting the needs of the elderly in the Livingstone District in Zambia there is a need for the physiotherapy profession to raise awareness of their role in the elderly and become promoters of healthy and active aging by providing services at primary health care level through outreach programmes. CONCLUSION: Well-coordinated health services that integrate social, economical and physical services for the elderly in the district are recommended in order to achieve active and healthy ageing.