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Pain Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Among Final-Year Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Students in Jordan: A
Ahmad Muhsen1, Mohammad Madi1, Adnan Wshah1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Background:
Despite the global burden of chronic pain, gaps in pain education persist in healthcare programs. This study evaluated pain knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among final-year physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) students in Jordan, compared these competencies between disciplines, examined the relationship between pain knowledge and beliefs, and explored significant predictors of pain knowledge.
Methods:
A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey of final-year PT and OT students from three public universities in Jordan. Pain knowledge was assessed using the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ), and attitudes and beliefs toward pain and disability were measured with the modified Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS). Students also reported perceived sources of pain knowledge. Data analysis involved non-parametric tests for group comparisons, Spearman correlations to assess the RNPQ-HC-PAIRS association, and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of RNPQ scores.
Results:
A total of 216 students completed the survey (PT: n=149; OT: n=67). PT students demonstrated higher RNPQ scores and lower HC-PAIRS scores than OT students (both p< 0.001), indicating a better understanding of pain neurophysiology and more adaptive pain beliefs. Across the total sample, RNPQ and HC-PAIRS scores were inversely correlated (ρ = -0.334, p< 0.001). Regression analysis identified discipline (PT vs OT), endorsing university courses as a primary pain knowledge source, and HC-PAIRS scores as significant predictors of RNPQ scores (adjusted R2 = 0.855, p< 0.001). A significant interaction showed that PT students derived greater pain knowledge gains from university courses than OT students.
Conclusion:
Final-year PT and OT students in Jordan exhibited limited pain knowledge and persistent biomedical beliefs, with PT students outperforming OT students. University courses were the strongest predictor of pain knowledge, underscoring the need for integrating evidence-based pain curricula with a biopsychosocial focus in both disciplines.
