Knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy of caregivers of children with epilepsy: impact of a structured educational intervention program

Abstract

Background: The par ental r ole is cr ucial in the management of childr en with epilepsy befor e, during, and after the seizures. It is crucial to ascertain the sufficient knowledge, attitude, and proper practice of the caregivers about epilepsy; however, caregivers with high self-efficacy are more able to achieve caregiving tasks of epilepsy children at the best level. Purpose: To assess the effect of an educational inter vention on the knowledge, attitude, r eported practice and self-efficacy of caregivers of children with epilepsy. Methods: A pr etest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to carry out the study, in which a convenient sample of 60 caregivers for epilepsy children was chosen from the outpatient clinics of Al-Ahrar Zagazig Teaching Hospital. The candidates were asked to fill up a questionnaire as a pretest, and then were exposed to a tailored educational intervention about epilepsy before being reassessed again using the same questionnaire. Results: Most of car egiver s wer e mar r ied females, and mainly mother s. Although car egiver s generally had low level of knowledge, attitudes, reported practices, and self-efficacy about epilepsy before the educational intervention, they improved significantly after the educational intervention. The educational program was a significant independent positive predictor of caregivers' scores of knowledge, attitudes, practice and self-efficacy. Discussion: The study findings demonstr ate significant impr ovements in the knowledge, attitude, and reported practice as well as the self-efficacy scores of caregivers of children with epilepsy following the implementation of the educational intervention, which reflects the importance of providing educational intervention to improve the knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy of epilepsy children caregivers.

Parental KAP and its Relation with the Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy

“…Pertaining to mothers as primary caregivers for most of the cohort in our study is reiterated in other studies from developing and developed countries which consistently showed a high percentage of female caregivers in managing CWE. [ 10 15 16 ]…”

Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Outcome and Associated Factors of Epilepsy Among Children at Hospitals of North-West Ethiopia

“…In other words, two-way communication becomes easier, and educated caregivers can easily understand counseling. 60 …”

Correlates of Caregiving Burden among Bedouin-Muslim Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Epilepsy

“…We found that self-efficacy serves as a protective attribute against caregiver burden. Previous studies among parents of children diagnosed with chronic conditions have evidenced the fundamental role of caregivers’ self-efficacy and its positive impact on stress [ 36 ], psychological well-being [ 37 , 38 ], and care management [ 39 ], as well as the utilization of effective, stress-related coping strategies [ 40 ]. This finding extends the understanding of the universal fundamental role of caregiver’s self-efficacy and its association with caregiving outcomes among Israel’s most impoverished minority population—the Bedouins.…”

“…Strong SE among parents of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy is associated with lower CB [ 35 ], lower stress [ 36 ], and better psychological well-being in parents of children diagnosed with cancer [ 37 ] and pediatric type 1 diabetes [ 38 ]. Evidence suggests that high parental SE is associated with better child seizure management [ 39 ], and the performance of effective stress-related coping strategies (planning and active coping) in parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities [ 40 ].…”