Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of students of health-related science colleges towards epilepsy in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders that may be associated with negative attitudes among general populations. This may be due to poor public awareness and knowledge toward epilepsy. Aim: To assess knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of students of health-related science colleges toward epilepsy in Taif. Methods: This study was conducted in three health-related science colleges in Taif University. A questionnaire was distributed to students of these colleges. Results: More than 80% of the participants have heard or read about epilepsy. About half of them had witnessed a seizure attack. More than three quarters of the participants thought that epilepsy is a neurological disease. In total 97% of the participants stated that convulsions are the main manifestations of epilepsy. In total 77.7% of the participants selected the medical treatment and follow-up as the most effective treatment of epilepsy. More than three quarters of the participants agreed with that epileptic woman can get married and have children. About 90% agreed to work with epileptic persons and become a close friend of them. About half of the participants believed that the equal job opportunity for epileptic and normal persons should be practiced. Conclusion: The knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of students of health-related science colleges toward epilepsy in Taif were acceptable regarding to this study. However, the negative attitudes and misconceptions still exist. Further studies are needed to determine methods of overcoming these negative attitudes and misconceptions.

Epilepsy life skill education guidelines for primary school teachers and learners in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, South Africa: Multiphase mixed methods protocol

“…Knowledge and understanding of Epilepsy. Given the lack of knowledge and understanding of Epilepsy in the public, which is manifested through increased misconceptions [8,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33], the primary school learners will need to know and understand Epilepsy from the education provided in the primary schools.…”

Parents' Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitude Toward Children With Epilepsy in the Al Baha Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Medication was the preferred treatment in our study, followed by surgery and traditional methods. This preference likely stems from increased awareness of medication-based treatments over the past decade, a trend also observed in Taif, Saudi Arabia [ 21 - 23 ]. While surgery is not the first line of treatment for epilepsy, it has been reported in many previous studies [ 16 , 19 ], and traditional methods such as herbal medicine and therapeutic Quran have also been mentioned in the literature [ 18 - 20 ].…”

Shifting Behaviors and Attitudes of Socially Stigmatizing Illnesses to Improve Wellbeing: A Conceptual Framework for Epilepsy

“…A better community understanding of conditions affecting the brain, including appreciation for the potentially modifiable wider factors in the physical and social environments that may be exacerbating them, is important for progress. For example, factors such as negative attitudes [14,15], minimal awareness [16,17], unsatisfactory to low knowledge toward epilepsy [18][19][20], and poor practices towards epileptic patients [21,22] contribute to low QL for PLWE and their families. Wider social environments, including community awareness, support systems, and societal attitudes towards epilepsy, significantly influence the psychological wellbeing and social interactions of PLWE [23][24][25].…”