Adults’ knowledge levels of and attitudes toward epilepsy: a cross-sectional study in Samsun Türkiye

Abstract

Background & Objective: Epilepsy is not only a common neurological disorder, but also a stigmatising cause of psychosocial difficulties and discrimination. This study aimed to evaluate adults’ knowledge levels and attitudes toward epilepsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2022 from four family healthcare units in Samsun, Türkiye. In the questionnaire, a personal information form, the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS), and the Epilepsy Attitude Scale (EAS) were used.

Results: Four hundred and six people participated in this study. The mean age of the participants was 39.4±13.6 years, and 54.2% were women. The mean EKS score was 9.9±3.1 (Maximum 16), and the mean EAS score was 56.8±8.9 (Maximum 70). University graduates (p=0.001), participants familiar with individuals with epilepsy (p<0.001), with epilepsy in the family (p<0.001), who had witnessed epileptic seizures (p<0.001), who had previously heard about epilepsy (p<0.001), and who had read about epilepsy (p<0.001) registered higher mean epilepsy knowledge scores. Participants over 35 (p=0.002), unmarried individuals (p<0.001), university graduates (p<0.001), the employed (p=0.008), participants with children (p<0.001), who knew individuals with epilepsy (p=0.016), with epilepsy patients in the family (p=0.023), who had witnessed epileptic seizures (p<0.001), who had previously heard of epilepsy (p=0.012), and who had read about epilepsy (p<0.001) registered higher mean attitudes to epilepsy scores. Positive attitudes toward epilepsy increased according to the level of knowledge of epilepsy (r=0.387; p<0.001).

Conclusion: The participants from Samsun, Türkiye exhibited moderate levels of knowledge about epilepsy and positive attitudes toward the disease. Increasing levels of knowledge were associated with increasingly positive attitudes toward epilepsy.