Abstract: Epilepsy a disease that can affect any age, gender or race in the world. At least 50 million people in the world have epilepsy with prevalence rate of 6.5 per 1000 in Saudi Arabia.
Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate and investigate the knowledge, awareness and attitude of epilepsy among the population of Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: The study was cross-sectional based and consisted of a survey using a questionnaire of 11 questions. A questionnaire about knowledge, awareness and attitudes toward epileptics was applied after it has been translated into Arabic language.
Results: Of the 797participants who completed the questionnaire, around (684) 85.9% of the study population have read or heard of epilepsy. About (396) 49.7% knew of at least one person with epilepsy. On witnessing a person with seizure, about 59.7% of participants have seen patients while seizure attacks. However, six hundred and sixty-five participants (83.5%) correctly thought that epilepsy is not a contagious disease, while 15.6% stated that they don’t know whether it’s contagious disease or not. About 40% believed epilepsy to be a psychiatric disorder as it would be type of insanity or madness, while 31% of them stated they have no knowledge if it was psychiatric disorder. majority of the population (40.15%) thought that epilepsy is a Brain disease. while only (17%) believed that epilepsy is inherited disorder, while the second majority (21.25%) believed that epilepsy is due to Mental or emotional disorders. A higher proportion of respondents (46.49%) thought that epilepsy attacks Convulsions manifested, and about 27% think that Foaming from the mouth is epilepsy manifestation.
Conclusion: Absence of awareness and knowledge may cause lack of confidences to epilepsy and might be an aspect discussing preconception. This research study was an essential tool to get precise details of the public awareness and knowledge about epilepsy, which has actually typically been subjected to misunderstanding, stigmatization and social misconception, eventually impacting the overall of the patients with epilepsy more than the epilepsy as disorder itself.
Keywords: Public Awareness, stigmatization and social misconception.
Title: Public Awareness towards Epilepsy in Buraydah Population
Author: Ali Othman Aldubakhi, Abdullah Suleman Almazied, Abdulrahman Mohammad Alrshody, Meshal Mohammad Alrumayh
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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