Knowledge, Awareness and Attitudes towards Learning Disabilities among Undergraduate Nursing Students in Benin City, Nigeria: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward learning disabilities (LD) among 270 undergraduate nursing students in the University of Benin (UNIBEN). LD affect a considerable number of people globally. However, the knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate students, especially nursing students in the Global South, toward LD remain under-researched.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, using a stratified sampling technique to recruit participants from first- to fifth- year undergraduate nursing students. A 29-item questionnaire adapted from existing literature, structured on a Likert scale and close-ended questions was used for data collection. Descriptive (frequencies, percentages, and mean) and inferential statistics (chi-square) were used for data analysis. The mean cutoff was set at 2.5 and the level of significance at p ˂ 0.05 with small-to-moderate effect size (Cramer’s V = 0.23).

Results: Participants demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge (55.2%) and a low level of awareness (68.1%). Most students were not aware of services for LD in UNIBEN (81.1%) and at the national level (84.4%). However, participants generally exhibited positive attitudes toward LD (grand mean = 2.75 on a 4-point Likert scale). A statistically significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitude toward LD (χ² = 12.368, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: The findings suggest the possible need for key stakeholders, including nurse educators, to develop targeted interventions towards increasing knowledge and awareness of nursing students about LD. This could include incorporating learning disabilities-related topics into the curricula, and familiarising students with available support resources.