Article

Zambian health care workers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding epilepsy.

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Nationalist Road, Lusaka, Zambia.
Epilepsy & Behavior (impact factor: 2.34). 03/2007; 10(1):111-9. DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2006.08.012 pp.111-9
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Zambia suffers from a physician shortage, leaving the provision of care for those with epilepsy to nonphysician health care workers who may not be adequately trained for this task. These individuals are also important community opinion leaders. Our goal in this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of these health care workers with respect to epilepsy.
Health care workers in urban and rural districts of Zambia completed a self-administered, 48-item questionnaire containing items addressing demographics, personal experience with epilepsy, social tolerance, willingness to provide care, epilepsy care knowledge, and estimates of others' attitudes. Analyses were conducted to assess characteristics associated with more epilepsy care knowledge and social tolerance.
The response rate was 92% (n=276). Those who had received both didactic and bedside training (P=0.02) and more recent graduates (P=0.007) had greater knowledge. Greater knowledge was associated with more social tolerance (P=0.005), but having a family member with epilepsy was not (P=0.61). Health care workers were generally willing to provide care to this patient population, but approximately 25% would not allow their child to marry someone with epilepsy and 20% thought people with epilepsy should not marry or hold employment. Respondents reported that people with epilepsy are feared and/or rejected by both their families (75%) and their community (88.8%).
Knowledge gaps exist particularly in acute management and recognition of partial epilepsy. More recent graduates were more knowledgeable, suggesting that curriculum changes instituted in 2000 may be improving care. Health care workers expressed both personal and professional reservations about people with epilepsy marrying. In addition to improving diagnosis and treatment skills, educational programs must address underlying attitudes that may worsen existing stigmatizing trends.

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    Article: Knowledge gaps and uncertainties about epilepsy: findings from an ethnographic study in China.
    D Snape, W Wang, J Wu, A Jacoby, G A Baker
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Epilepsy represents one of the major brain disorders worldwide. In China, research into how much people with epilepsy know about their condition appears limited. Drawing on data collected as part of a large ethnographic study, we present the experiences and views of Chinese people with epilepsy and their family members, to identify knowledge gaps and uncertainties about epilepsy within selected urban and rural communities. We also examine how respondents' demographic characteristics influence their knowledge, understanding, and beliefs about epilepsy. We found knowledge and understanding of epilepsy to be uneven and context specific. Hereditary factors were most frequently cited as a potential cause, although their impact remained unclear. Western medicalization of epilepsy appears less evident in the reports of rural informants, where traditional beliefs continue to shape definitions and treatment. Societal differences within these communities set boundaries on knowledge acquisition. Plotted against these differences, we suggest strategies for proposed educational/psychosocial intervention programs.
    Epilepsy & Behavior 11/2008; 14(1):172-8. · 2.34 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

48-item questionnaire
 
bedside training
 
community opinion leaders
 
curriculum changes
 
educational programs
 
epilepsy care knowledge
 
epilepsy marrying
 
Greater knowledge
 
health care workers
 
Knowledge gaps
 
knowledgeable
 
nonphysician health care workers
 
others' attitudes
 
partial epilepsy
 
patient population
 
personal experience
 
physician shortage
 
response rate
 
rural districts
 
treatment skills