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Submitted
July 5, 2025
Accepted
November 28, 2025
Published
December 29, 2025
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Abstract

Background: Physiotherapists regularly manage conditions affected by smoking, providing an opportunity to support smoking cessation efforts. This study examined physiotherapists’ perceptions of smoking cessation counseling and identified barriers affecting their practice in Benin City, Nigeria.


Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to licensed physiotherapists across three local government areas of the Benin city municipality. Data were analyzed descriptively, and Likert scale responses were merged into agreement and disagreement categories.


Results: All respondents recognized smoking as harmful, and 74% believed that cessation counselling should be part of physiotherapy practice. The key barriers included low personal motivation and negative personal experiences. Patient nonadherence and doubts regarding cessation strategies were also frequently cited.


Conclusion: Physiotherapists support smoking cessation counselling but require additional training and organizational reinforcement. Integrating smoking cessation content into professional education may strengthen clinical practice.

Keywords

Smoking cessation physiotherapists counseling Nigeria

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Copyright (c) 2025 Chukwubuikem I. Nzeka

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Chukwubuikem I. Nzeka , GlobalNxt University, Malaysia

Chukwubuikem Nzeka is a PhD student at GlobalNxt University, Malaysia, and a Paediatric Specialist Physiotherapist in the United Kingdom. He holds a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (Physiotherapy) from the University of Nigeria and a Master of Science (Education) in Exercise Physiology from the University of Benin, Nigeria. His professional experience spans paediatric physiotherapy and exercise science. His research interests focus on physiotherapy practice, child development, and special educational needs.

How to Cite
Nzeka, C. (2025). Perceptions of Smoking Cessation Counselling among Physiotherapists in Benin City, Nigeria. Pan-African Journal of Health and Environmental Science, 4(2), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.56893/ajhes2025v04i02.03
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