Conhecimentos e atitudes sobre epilepsia entre universitários da área da saúde

Abstract

RESUMO -Vários estudos em diversos paises mostram em relação à epilepsia a falta de conhecimentos, os preconceitos e as repercussões negativas para os pacientes. Avaliamos os conhecimentos e atitudes de universitários da área da saúde no início e ao final dos cursos. Foram aplicados questionários contendo 15 questões em relação à epilepsia a 564 universitários (290 do primeiro e 274 do último ano) de cinco cursos (ciências farmacêuticas, fisioterapia, medicina, nutrição e terapia ocupacional). Os estudantes de último ano tiveram maior familiaridade com epilepsia, melhor conhecimento de suas causas e de seu tratamento. Também em questões relacionadas ao trabalho e à conduta durante as crises, ao final dos cursos cresceram as posturas positivas. Não obstante, porcentagem significativa dos universitários do último ano ainda apresentou importantes lacunas de conhecimento em relação à epilepsia o que sugere a necessidade de ações dirigidas a minorar essa situação.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: epilepsia, aspectos psicossociais. Knowledge and attitude toward epilepsy among health area studentsABSTRACT -Several studies in different countries show a lack of knowledge about epilepsy with consequent prejudice and discrimination to epileptic patients. We aim to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of health area junior and senior students. Simple self-administered questionnaires were applied to 290 junior students and to 274 senior students. Senior students had more familiarity, better knowledge about etiology and had a more positive perception about anticonvulsant medication. Positive attitudes about work were more common among senior students. Although, significant percentage of students had a lack of knowledge about epilepsy. A third of the respondents could use improper and potentially harmful measures during a seizure. Actions directed to increment the knowledge and attitudes of health area students could improve the quality of life of patients with epilepsy.

Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment

“…In the present survey, the degree of familiarity with epilepsy indicated by university students in the health area and the levels of adequate responses given to the questionnaire in the fi rst phase of the study, were similar to those found in a similar survey carried out previously in the same university 17 , confi rming a basic lack of knowledge about various aspects of epilepsy. The proposal for a workshop on the theme of epilepsy stimulated interest amongst students in various courses in the health area, resulting in signifi cant participation.…”

“…Questionnaire -The questionnaire was based on items related to familiarity, knowledge, attitudes and care during an epileptic fi t, consisting of 15 questions already applied in the previous survey 17 , and, to a large extent, already applied in other surveys as well 3,8,19 .…”

“…Another aspect suggesting the important effect of the workshop was that for the majority of questions, the level of adequate responses given by the students in the 2 nd phase of the survey was higher than that observed for fi nal year students in health area courses in the earlier survey 17 .…”

“…In an earlier survey 17 , the knowledge and attitudes of university students in the health area of a private university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, were assessed at the beginning and end of their courses. It was shown that fi nal year students were more famil-Epilepsy: knowledge, attitudes amongst health area students Tedrus et al…”

A gestão do conhecimento e a sala de aula invertida: O processo de criação do conhecimento

“…De fato, os estudantes universitários representam um grupo da sociedade que detém conhecimento que contribuirá para o crescimento do país (HASSONA et al, 2014). Portanto, é importante que alunos do ensino superior, principalmente, os da área da saúde tenham um entendimento correto do que é epilepsia, já que serão profissionais importantes na disseminação de conhecimento para a sociedade (FONSECA et al, 2004). Sendo assim, a presente pesquisa teve por objetivo verificar o conhecimento sobre epilepsia de alunos da graduação dos cursos da Saúde da Universidade Federal de Alagoas.…”