Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy among primary, secondary and tertiary level teachers

Abstract

-The attitudes toward people with epilepsy are influenced by the degree of knowledge of the condition. Teachers usually do not receive any formal instruction on epilepsy during their training. This study was done to access three hundred teachers knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy by answering a questionnaire in order to quantify their knowledge, attitude and practice toward epilepsy. Almost all the teachers had heard about epilepsy yet could not demonstrate discrimination among the students. Some teachers still thought that epilepsy was contagious. A few others either objected to having epileptic children in their classes or did not think that an epileptic child could achieve higher studies. The knowledge about the clinical characteristics and initial procedures to attend a person during a seizure was unsatisfactory. We conclude that schools should offer some kind of knowledge or assistance in health services and physicians must ensure that these teachers have sufficient knowledge of epilepsy. Also general public education campaigns should be encouraged in this field.KEY WORDS: epilepsy, attitude, prejudice, public awareness.Atitude e percepção sobre epilepsia entre professores de primeiro, segundo e terceiro graus RESUMO -As atitudes referentes a pacientes com epilepsia são influenciadas pelo grau de conhecimento acerca desta patologia. Os professores geralmente não recebem instruções formais a este respeito. Este estudo procurou avaliar o grau de conhecimento e atitude quanto à epilepsia em trezentos professores, os quais responderam um questionário que quantifica o conhecimento, atitude e prática. Quase todos os professores já tinham ouvido falar sobre epilepsia e não discriminavam seus alunos. Alguns ainda acreditavam em contágio e poucos professores referiram objeções à presença de alunos com epilepsia em suas classes ou achavam que uma criança com epilepsia não poderia se tornar um bom professor. O conhecimento quanto às características clínicas ou procedimentos iniciais diante de uma crise epiléptica foi insatisfatório. Os resultados evidenciam que escolas médicas e médicos devem proporcionar um melhor conhecimento sobre epilepsia aos professores e campanhas educativas públicas devem também objetivar melhor esclarecimento sobre estas questões.

Awareness and Prevalence of Epilepsy; a Study in Educational Hubs at Sheringal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…Q-5 shows that 77.1% respondents don't know the initial procedure; how to attend and handle a patient during convulsions. These types of studies have been reported [34], that were somewhat comparable. These difficulties were probably due to poor educative programs in epilepsy especially at primary levels.…”

“…These difficulties were probably due to poor educative programs in epilepsy especially at primary levels. Therefore, services for educational health must be developed in special accordance to epilepsy In remote areas to overcome its consequences as early as possible [34]. People try to avoid communications and physical contact with the patients 15.0% of the respondents assumes that it is contagious or infective, whereas majority (68.4%) showed complete unawareness; Of about 40.1% people were deprived of the knowledge that epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder and it can't be cured.…”

Evaluation of physical educators' knowledge about epilepsy

“…Changes in opinion (employment, education, insanity, cause of epilepsy, social attitude) as reflected in polls of 5 year intervals increased during this period 27 . In addition, knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy among teachers in a Brazilian study showed that although almost all teachers had heard about epilepsy, the knowledge on clinical characteristics and initial procedures to attend a person with epilepsy during a seizure was unsatisfactory 28 . Questions concerning to professional experience in epilepsy also demonstrate lack of information among physical educators.…”

Assesment of Knowledge and Attidudes of Patients with Epilepsy and Health Professionals About Epilepsy Disease

“…Yapılan ça-lışmalarda, epilepsi hastalarının hastalıkları hakkında genel toplumdan daha fazla bilgiye sahip olmalarına karşın, klinisyenlerin hastalarının bilgilerini kontrol etmeleri [8] ve hasta ve sağlık personelinin epilepsi hastalığı hakkında devamlı bir eğitime tabi tutulmaları gerektiği bildirilmiştir. [9] Gelişmekte olan [10,11] ve gelişmiş [12,13] ülkelerde ilkokul öğ-retmenleri ile yapılan çalışmalarda öğretmenlerin eğitim oranı ilişkili bulunmamıştır (p>0.05). Hastaların birinci derece yakınlarında epilepsi hastası olması soruların sonuçları için istatistiksel olarak belirleyici faktör değildir (p>0.05).…”