Public Knowledge Regarding Childhood Epilepsy Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

Public Knowledge Regarding Epilepsy in Children

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of the public regarding epilepsy in children.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted at the department of pediatrics, Madinah Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad, from October 2024 to December 2024. A total of 384 individuals (Parents/guardians/attendants) aged 20-60 years were included in the study after taking consent from the participants. Health care professionals and attendants of epileptics, or parents who themselves had epilepsy were excluded to exclude bias. Participants’ knowledge about epilepsy was assessed, using a questionnaire, comprising of nine knowledge-based questions related to epilepsy. Knowledge was classified into 3 categories, viz. poor, moderate or good. Chi-square analysis was conducted to compare knowledge against education level and socio-economic status. P-value of <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Overall, our population showed 34.4% with good; 51.3% with moderate and 14.3% with poor knowledge regarding epilepsy. Results of our study also showed that there was a significant association between socioeconomic status and extent of knowledge (p=0.01). Similarly, significant association was reported between education and extent of knowledge (p=0.01) and it was observed that knowledge decreased with increasing age.
Conclusion: Majority of our public has inadequate knowledge about epilepsy and the contributory factors can be the low literacy level according to our study or due to certain cultural and religious beliefs that need to be evaluated further. It is crucial to educate our society about epilepsy, empowering them to make informed decisions about treatment, without the burden of stigma and misconceptions.