Perceptions of the community about epilepsy in rural Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious brain disorder throughout the world. [1,2] A large cross-sectional study conducted in Kerala found the prevalence of epilepsy as 4.9/1000 population. [3] Although 70% of people with epilepsy can live normal lives with proper treatment, more than 80% people with epilepsy, living in developing

Perception of the general population on Epilepsy and Antiepileptic drugs: A questionnaire-based study

“…In our current study also, a maximum number of participants had a positive attitude towards QOL, employment, marriage, giving birth, and revealing the epileptic history before marriage, congruent with other papers 2,10,20,21 .Unlike our analysis, most others discovered widespread negative attitudes about the aforementioned characteristics 5,8,10,[14][15][16]22,[26][27][28] .The dissimilarity shown by our answerers could be attributed to younger participants from urban and diverse locations, gradual public attitude change due to improved awareness, and sociocultural diversity. Our article suggests a potential link between agitated dancing to God and epilepsy.…”

“…Nevertheless, the EP/CG had a satisfactory KAP. Out of the 123 responses received, most were females (55.3%); this may be owing to their engaging and willing attitude to participate in surveys and also due to the rising stigma that affects the female gender 5,8,10 .Most of our respondents were students (42.3%), and they had better knowledge than the unemployed , similar to studies done in Delhi and Bangalore 11,12 .…”

“…But in the same study only 33% and 34% felt that epileptic kids have an appropriate level of intelligence and the need to be sent to special schools respectively 12 . Our study's maximum number of respondents had no objection to playing with epileptic children, corresponding to other works 2,8,10,11,16 .But, Chaitra, Kankane (15-20%) and a rural Ethiopian study (39%) found a negative attitude towards playing with epileptic children 14,15,22 .Our respondent's positive attitude toward epileptic children may be linked to their urban background and higher literacy status.…”

“…Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of brain function characterized by the recurrent and unpredictable occurrence of seizures 1 .Around 1% of the world's population has epilepsy, which is the fourth most common neurologic disorder after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease 1 .The annual incidence of epilepsy in India is approximately 40 to 50 per 100,000 per year, and the disease burden is higher (80%) in developing countries 2 .Epilepsy significantly impacts the medical, psychological, economic, and social aspects of the affected individuals, their families, and the community 3,4 .Studies have shown that, despite advancements in educational and social parameters, including technology and communication, there has been no significant change in the deep-rooted stigmas, perceptions, and discrimination of epilepsy throughout India and other developing countries compared to the developed countries [4][5][6] .There is also a noteworthy treatment gap among epilepsy patients due to this lack of cognizance 2,7,8 . Improving disease awareness and comprehension can aid in epilepsy prevention and treatment 2 .Hence, understanding the public's perception, attitudes, and practices regarding epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is critical, as misconceptions about the disease have a negative impact on sufferers' quality of life (QOL) 9 .Though there are some original research articles on this topic from different states of India, because of the differences in the population investigated as well as the questionnaires and procedures utilized, the results are not strictly comparable 2,5,6,8,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Except for a few Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) studies in rural northeastern Tamil Nadu (TN), explorations targeting the non-epileptic general population of TN are very limited; hence, this research may help to assess the extent of the problem and provide additional insight into public KAP 5,10 .…”

“…Improving disease awareness and comprehension can aid in epilepsy prevention and treatment 2 .Hence, understanding the public's perception, attitudes, and practices regarding epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is critical, as misconceptions about the disease have a negative impact on sufferers' quality of life (QOL) 9 .Though there are some original research articles on this topic from different states of India, because of the differences in the population investigated as well as the questionnaires and procedures utilized, the results are not strictly comparable 2,5,6,8,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Except for a few Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) studies in rural northeastern Tamil Nadu (TN), explorations targeting the non-epileptic general population of TN are very limited; hence, this research may help to assess the extent of the problem and provide additional insight into public KAP 5,10 . It will also help in the planning of future studies in the region and, hopefully, will motivate interested officials and organizations to initiate interventions that include not only the extension of services but also staff training and education for the general public and the people living with epilepsy (PLE).…”