Epilepsy: what do Indian public living in Jammu know?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20183664Keywords:
Attitude, Epilepsy, Knowledge, PracticesAbstract
Background: Epilepsy, a neurological disorder, still remains one of the most stigmatising disease. Myths, beliefs and negative attitudes associated with the disease have been ascribed to the low levels of awareness and knowledge among the public. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the public regarding epilepsy visiting a tertiary care hospital in Jammu city of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of three months among adult persons (aged 18 years and above) visiting OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Jammu city, J&K, India. A 29-item questionnaire was pilot tested and then distributed to 410 adults during the survey period and 30 of them were excluded as they had never heard about epilepsy.
Results: About 92.6% of the surveyed respondents had heard about epilepsy with mass media and family/ friends as the major sources of knowledge. 59.7% knew a person suffering from epilepsy and 30.7% had actually witnessed an attack of seizure. Only one-fourth of the respondents knew the disease to be a neurological disorder. More than half of the respondents would object to their children being associated with epileptic person in the school but surprisingly 63% would accept to work/become a friend with epileptic person. About 41% respondents would take patient in seizure to hospital while 43.5% would put a shoe on his nose.
Conclusions: The public knowledge was found to be reasonably good, but attitudes were found to be of mixed type while practices were also not up to the desired levels. Need is for persistent and effective information campaigns to change public attitudes towards person with epilepsy.
Metrics
References
Wong V, Chung B, Wong R. Pilot survey of public awareness, attitudes and understanding towards epilepsy in Hong Kong. Neurol Asia. 2004;9:21-7.
WHO. Epilepsy fact sheet; 2016. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs999/en./. Accessed 20 June 2018
Fong CY, Hung A. Public awareness, attitude, and understanding of epilepsy in Hong Kong special administrative region, China. Epilepsia. 2002;43:311‑6.
Sanya EO, Salami TA, Goodman OO, Buhari OI, Araoye MO. Perception and attitude to epilepsy among teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in middle belt Nigeria. Trop Doct. 2005;35:153‑6.
Abduelkarem AR. Societal problems that patients with epilepsy are facing in Sharjah, UAE. Epilepsy Behav. 2016;59:142‑6.
Ghanean H, Jacobsson L, Nojomy M. Self‑perception of stigma in persons with epilepsy in Tehran, Iran. Epilepsy Behav. 2013;28:163‑7.
Dantas FG, Cariri GA, Cariri GA, Ribeiro Filho AR. Knowledgeand attitudes toward epilepsy among primary, secondary andtertiary level teachers. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2001;59:712‑6.
Ak PD, Atakli D, Yuksel B, Guveli BT, Sari H. Stigmatization and social impacts of epilepsy in Turkey. Epilepsy Behav. 2015;50:50‑4.
Danesi MA, Odusote KA, Roberts OO, Adu EO. Social problems of adolescent and adult epileptics in a developing country, as seen in Lagos, Nigeria. Epilepsia. 1981;22:689‑96.
Adoukonou T, Tognon‑Tchegnonsi F, Gnonlonfoun D, Djidonou A, Sego‑Sounon D, Gandaho P, et al. Socio‑cultural aspects of epilepsy in a rural community in Northern Benin in 2011. Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 2015;108:133‑8.
Alhazzani AA, Alqahtani AM, Abouelyazid A, Alqahtani AM, Alqahtani NA, Asiri KM, et al. Public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward epilepsy in the aseer region, Saudi Arabia- A community‑based cross‑sectional study. Epilepsy Behav. 2016;63:63‑6.
Alaqeel A, Sabbagh AJ. Epilepsy; what do Saudi’s living in Riyadh know? Seizure. 2013;22:205‑9.
Daoud A, Al‑Safi S, Otoom S, Wahba L, Alkofahi A. Public knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy in Jordan. Seizure. 2007;16:521‑6.
Pal VS, Arya KD. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among caregivers of patients of epilepsy attending tertiary health care centre, Malwa Region: A pilot study.Global Journal Res Analysis. 2017;11(6):36-8.
Bain LE, Awah PK, Takougang I, Sigal Y, Ajime TT. Public awareness, knowledge and practice relating to epilepsy amongst adult residents in rural cameroon - Case study of the fundong health district. Pan Afr Med J. 2013;14:32.
Kaddumukasa M, Kakooza A, Kayima J, Kaddumukasa MN, Ddumba E, Mugenyi L, et al. Community knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy in rural and urban Mukono district, Uganda: A cross-sectional study. Epilepsy & Behavior. 2016 Jan 1;54:7-11.
Al-Dossari KK, Al-Ghamdi S, Al-Zahrani J, Abdulmajeed I, Alotaibi M, Almutairi H, et al. Public knowledge awareness and attitudes toward epilepsy in Al-Kharj Governorate Saudi Arabia. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018;7:184-90.
Krishnaih B, Alwar SP, Ranganathan LN. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of people toward epilepsy in a South Indian village. J Neuro Sci Rural Pract. 2016;7(3):374-80.
Radhakrishnan K, Pandian JD, Santhoskumar T, Thomas SV, Deetha TD, Sarma PS et al. Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of epilepsy in Kerala, South India. Epilepsia. 2000;41(8):1027-35.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
