Knowledge, attitude, and practice of physiotherapists towards the management of male sexual dysfunction in selected Nigerian teaching hospitals

Introduction The prevalence of male sexual dysfunction is increasing, and physiotherapeutic interventions are important management options. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of physiotherapists about the management of male sexual dysfunction (MSD) in selected Nigerian teaching hospitals. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of 75 physiotherapists who had worked in a teaching hospital in South-West, Nigeria, for at least two years after graduating, and physiotherapists who might have been involved in the treatment of male sexual dysfunction were among the participants. They were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered via Google® Forms to physiotherapists across selected teaching hospitals in South-West, Nigeria. The questionnaire assessed the respondents’ knowledge about male sexual dysfunction, attitudes towards its management, and their current practices. Descriptive statistics of mean, median, standard deviation, interquartile range, frequency distribution, and percentage were used to summarise participants’ demographic data. Inferential statistics of Spearman’s correlation, Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, chi-square and logistic regression analysis were used in making inferences. The level of significance was set at <i>p</i> < 0.05. Results Respondents comprised 57.3% (n = 43) men with a mean age of 34.51 ± 8.93 years. The median (IQR) scores of KAP were 8(7–8), 11(8–15) and 9(1–10), respectively. More than half of the respondents have good knowledge (52%) and attitude (53.3%) towards the management of MSD while 60% have good practice. There is a corresponding rise in knowledge with every unit increase in age (OR = 1.152, CI = 1.001–1.326, <i>p</i> = 0.049). Compared to physiotherapists with a neurology specialisation, those within the paediatric physiotherapy specialisation were 90.9% less likely to have a positive attitude towards managing MSD (OR = 0.091, CI = 0.016–0.500, <i>p</i> = 0.006). Conclusions The findings showed that more than half of the participants had advanced knowledge of male sexual dysfunction, this knowledge is significantly determined by the increasing age of the physiotherapists, and being a neuro-physiotherapist was a predictor of positive attitudes towards the management of male sexual dysfunction. There is a need for targeted educational interventions and training to improve the knowledge base of younger physiotherapists and their competencies in managing male sexual dysfunction.