Community’s Perception and Attitude towards People with Epilepsy in Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction Most people with epilepsy suffer from a dual burden. In one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities on the other hand from misconceptions and stigma associated with it. But there are no recent studies which assess the community's perception and attitude. Objective To assess the perception and attitude of the community towards people with epilepsy and identify associated factors. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in South Ethiopia from a total of 701 participants. Data were collected with face to face interview using a structured questionnaire developed based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Data were presented with frequencies, tables, and figures. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was done to identify significantly important variables. The presence of association was presented by odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Ethical clearance was obtained from Wolaita Sodo University. Results The most frequently mentioned perceived causes for epilepsy were stress (91%), substance use (61.8%), and bad spirit (49.8%) while loss of consciousness and falling (80.7%) and sleep problems (78%) were considered symptoms of epilepsy. Only 13.1% of the participants think that they may be susceptible for epilepsy. Six hundred sixty (94.2%) participants will not employ a person with epilepsy while only 47 (6.7%) of the participants will allow a family member to marry a person with epilepsy. In multivariable analysis, understanding the illness as a medical problem was associated with perceived susceptibility and perceived benefit of modern treatment was significantly associated with having a current medical problem. Conclusions The knowledge about the cause, possible susceptibility, better treatment options, and attitude of the participants were similar to other low-income settings. The negative attitude was high and multidimensional. All stakeholders must work to increase awareness about the cause, symptoms, and treatment options for epilepsy and to decrease the negative attitude of the community.

Quality of life and its associated factors among epileptic patients attending public hospitals in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

“…The community’s awareness of epilepsy in Ethiopia is not different from other African countries. As a result, epilepsy is believed to be caused by witchcraft, evil spirit, and God’s punishment for sins by many [ 21 , 22 ]. Consequently, patients with epilepsy in Ethiopia are suffering from physical disability, stigma, discrimination, and other psychiatric problems [ 10 ].…”

Depression, sleep quality, and social isolation among people with epilepsy in Bhutan: A cross-sectional study

“…People with epilepsy can experience sleep disturbance, comorbid sleep disorders, and daytime dysfunction as a result of seizures, adverse events from ASMs, or both [12,13]. Furthermore, a high proportion of PWE in LLMIC reports sleep problems as a symptom of their epilepsy [14]. Sleep disturbance in adults with epilepsy is associated with significantly higher rates of depression and significantly lower quality of life [10,12].…”

How Much Do We Know? Assessing Public Knowledge, Awareness, Impact, and Awareness Guidelines for Epilepsy: A Systematic Review

“…People living with epilepsy are believed to experience issues in their marriages, which reduces the prospects of getting married [24]. As revealed, about 53.5% of the population believed people living with epilepsy should not marry at all [8].…”

“…As revealed, about 53.5% of the population believed people living with epilepsy should not marry at all [8]. Additionally, people living with epilepsy have a negative attitude towards marriage due to experienced low levels of satisfaction within marriage and increased divorce rate [24]; on the other hand, people living without the disease refuse to marry people living with epilepsy [20]. It is possible that following the believed causes and nature of epilepsy, it is understood as impossible to manage because some people consider epilepsy to be unmanageable.…”

“…As a response to internalized negative feelings and the impact of epilepsy, people with epilepsy become bullies, detached, and violent [33]. Literature reveals that some authors argue that people living with epilepsy often develop aggression, stubbornness, and anger, which makes them hostile toward others [24]. Consequently, as much as people with epilepsy are excluded, their families' activity is also excluded [36].…”