Bioethics in Nigeria: Knowledge and perception during a capacity-building workshop for Biomedical researchers.

Abstract Background: The need to assess the gaps in knowledge and perception on bioethics among biomedical researchers has become necessary considering the increasing numbers of researchers and research outputs in sub-Saharan Africa. This study, therefore, investigated the knowledge and perceptions of biomedical researchers in Osun State, southwest Nigeria.Methods: Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires were administered to consenting biomedical researchers during a capacity workshop conducted in November 2020. The questionnaire collected data on the attendee’s demography, knowledge, awareness and perception on bioethics and ethical approvals for research. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. 20.0 software and expressed as frequencies and percentages. Associations between professional status of participants were performed using chi-square statistics, and confidence interval was set as 95%. However, qualitative data were obtained using open-ended questionnaires and analysed thematically.Results: A total of 153 biomedical researchers across 33 academic and research institutions, comprising 58% males, and 42% females participated in this study. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 60 years. Majority of the participants (60.8%) hold academic positions and about one-third of the population were graduate students (30.1%). Awareness on bioethics was high (91.5%), and more common in schools (61.4%), with majority of the participants (77.1%) describing it as a field that addresses the social and legal issues arising from medicine and life sciences (p<0.05). However, participants’ perception of the principles of ethics was poor, with about 16% of participants considering none or only part of the principles. Also, about 10% felt they could still obtain ethical permits while research is ongoing or completed, while only 13.7% affirms that all biomedical related researches require ethical approval. There were significant differences in the proportions across the professional status of participants (p<0.05).Conclusion: The study has revealed poor perception among participants and suggests the prioritization of bioethics capacity enhancement workshops to improve knowledge and perceptions of biomedical researchers. In addition, more detailed studies across institutions in Nigeria should be carried out to assess, monitor and reinforce knowledge gained by biomedical researchers.