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Pietruszka M, Dzwilewski K, Frydrych M, Michalik M, Waszak P, Zawadzka M, Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska M. Comparison of knowledge and awareness of epilepsy between medical students of two universities in Poland. Epilepsy Behav 2023; 147:109386. [PMID: 37619463 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. As a chronic disease, associated with long-term treatment with antiseizure medication, it can have a negative impact on patients' quality of life. Moreover, patients are faced with a significant psychosocial burden associated with the stigma surrounding epilepsy. Medical professionals should be well educated and free of prejudices in order to provide adequate care for patients with epilepsy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of epilepsy among medical students of years 1-6 in Poland and examine if certain personality traits influence students' view of epilepsy. METHODS The study was conducted using snowball sampling of 166 Polish medical students from Medical University of Gdansk and Medical University of Warsaw. Participants completed a survey which consisted of their subjective assessment of knowledge of epileptology, actual knowledge of epileptology, and their view of stereotypes about epilepsy. In addition, students completed the IPIP-BFM-20 personality questionnaire. RESULTS Polish medical students have sufficient basic knowledge about epilepsy (mean scores of students from both universities is 14 out of 25 points). There is still room for improvement, especially in the field of epidemiology, semiology, factors provoking seizures, antiseizure medications, and most importantly about first aid during seizure (e.g., 7% of respondents believed it is necessary to put something between teeth of a patient during seizure). Age and the year of study were well correlated with knowledge score (p = 0.008) and level of awareness of the stereotypes. We found that most personality traits do not have a strong impact on the level of knowledge about epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Most students have a satisfying level of knowledge about epilepsy. Academic teachers should put more emphasis on first aid during seizures and awareness of psychosocial challenges associated with the disease. It is crucial for future physicians to not only possess sufficient theoretical knowledge, but also establish an empathetic doctor-patient relationship in order to provide better care for patients with epilepsy and other chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pietruszka
- Department of Child Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 63A, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Kamil Dzwilewski
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Frydrych
- Department of Child Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 63A, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Michalik
- Department of Child Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 63A, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Waszak
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Department of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders, Dębinki 7, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Zawadzka
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
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Amoudi M, Nairat Q, Shawahna R. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physiotherapists with regard to epilepsy and patients with epilepsy: A systematic scoping review. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 124:108367. [PMID: 34717245 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In today's healthcare systems, physiotherapists are one of the most important providers of care services to patients with disabilities including those with epilepsy. The aims of this systematic scoping review were to identify, summarize, and present narrative synthesis of qualitative evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physiotherapists toward epilepsy and patients with epilepsy. METHODS Primary studies were searched in Medline/PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, SpringerLink, CInAHL/EBSCO, Cochrane library, and Scopus as late as July 02, 2021. Appraisal of the methodological quality was conducted for the studies included in this systematic scoping review. Due to the heterogenous nature of the collected data, results of this study are presented as narrative synthesis. RESULTS A total of 11 were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. The selected studies were published in the period between 2016 and 2020. The studies included in this review had acceptable methodological quality in many of the 11 domains of the quality assessment tool. Contents of the included studies were grouped into the 11 themes and 8 subthemes. The major themes were related education/access to information, interaction with patients, witnessing seizures, barriers and promoters of adequate knowledge and attitudes, and interventions to improve knowledge and attitudes. CONCLUSION Currently, high-quality interventional studies are needed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physiotherapists with regard to epilepsy and patients with epilepsy. Future studies are still needed to investigate if improving knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physiotherapists with regard to epilepsy and patients with epilepsy can improve health-related outcomes of the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mosab Amoudi
- Health Sciences Department, Arab American University, Palestine
| | - Qais Nairat
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Teachers' Training, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Ramzi Shawahna
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; An-Najah BioSciences Unit, Centre for Poisons Control, Chemical and Biological Analyses, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
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The effect of a seminar on medical students' information acquisition of and attitudes toward epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 116:107720. [PMID: 33485166 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a brief seminar focusing on medical and social aspects of epilepsy on information acquisition of and attitudes toward epilepsy among medical school students. METHOD The sample of this pretest-posttest study consisted of 57 fifth-grade medical students. The students participated in a one-hour seminar including medical and social aspects of epilepsy. An epilepsy-related awareness form developed by researchers and also the Epilepsy Attitude Scale were applied to the participants before and after the seminar. RESULTS It was determined that half of the students (50.9%) encountered an epileptic seizure and 12.3% of them applied first aid. The students had difficulty in describing the seizure type before education. Before education, the rate of describing the seizure was 47.4% for myoclonic seizure, 50.9% for simple partial seizure, and 64.9% for absence seizure, and after education, these rates increased to 82.5% (p < 0.001), 91.2% (p < 0.001), and 98.2% (p < 0.001), respectively. Students generally well described the seizure triggering factors; however, the rate of students reporting the menstrual period as triggering factors were lower (66.7%), and the rates increased after the education (93.0%) (p = 0.001). The percentages of correct answers increased also for the questions regarding seizure first aid. The percentage of students who felt competent for seizure first-aid management increased from 12.3% to 91.2% (p < 0.001) after the education. The correct response rates of students for social aspects of epilepsy was generally high. In our study, attitude toward epilepsy was also evaluated. After the education, a mild increase in the attitude score of students was found (p = 0.009). Although it is minimal, the number of students who marked more positive attitude increased for each item of the Attitude scale. CONCLUSION Although a lack of acquaintance was found in some areas, awareness of epilepsy in our sample was at a moderate level. This study showed a positive effect of the education given to students on information acquisition and attitude.
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Unsar S, Özdemir Ö, Erol Ö, Bıkmaz Z, Yenici Bulut E. Evaluation of nursing students' epilepsy-related knowledge and attitudes. Epilepsy Behav 2020; 111:107167. [PMID: 32603806 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward epilepsy. METHOD The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with the voluntary participation of 161 nursing students in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of study who were registered at the summer school of Trakya University, Faculty of Health Sciences in the 2017-2018 academic year. The data were collected through a research questionnaire form and the Epilepsy Knowledge and Attitude Scales. The normal distribution of the data was tested using the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Nonparametric tests were used since the data were not normally distributed. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, range, numbers, and percentages), the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman's correlation test were used in the data analysis. FINDINGS Half of the nursing students (55.9%) were females with a mean age of 22.14 ± 1.81 years, and 43.5% of the students were third-year students. Of the students, 90.7% were informed about epilepsy from sources including their school/course/instructor (64%), the television/internet (10.6%), and healthcare professionals (6.8%). The mean scores obtained on the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS) and the mean score on the Epilepsy Attitude Scale (EAS) were 10.23 ± 4.24 and 57.66 ± 8.83, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the knowledge and attitude scores of the students regarding epilepsy (p < .001). As the students' knowledge increased, their attitudes also increased positively toward epilepsy. The female students had a more positive attitude toward epilepsy than did the male students. Further, the students who had knowledge about epilepsy and who provided care for patients with epilepsy had higher scores and displayed more positive attitudes toward epilepsy (p < .05). CONCLUSION This study determined that the participating nursing students had a moderate level of knowledge regarding epilepsy. In addition to theoretical knowledge of epilepsy, the experience of caring for a patient with epilepsy had a positive effect on the students' attitudes. The nursing education curriculum should place greater focus on epilepsy and interventions for epilepsy seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serap Unsar
- Trakya University, Balkan Campus, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Özlem Özdemir
- Kırklareli University, School of Health, Department of Health Management, Kırklareli, Turkey.
| | - Özgül Erol
- Trakya University, Balkan Campus, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Zülfiye Bıkmaz
- Kırklareli University, School of Health, Department of Health Management, Kırklareli, Turkey
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Souza P, Portes LA, Thomas RK, Bonito JR, Rua M, Pacheco FJ, Plaatjes P, Oliveira NC. Knowledge about epilepsy in university health students: A multicenter study. Epilepsy Behav 2018; 79:112-116. [PMID: 29274950 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Even with economic development and improvements in health care around the world, it is estimated that nowadays, 50 million people have epilepsy. It is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases, yet it is still surrounded by prejudice, stigma, lack of awareness, and wrong attitudes of the population towards the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the knowledge about epilepsy in health students from different countries: Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, United States, and South Africa. Students were asked to complete a survey regarding knowledge about epilepsy (the Epilepsy Knowledge Questionnaire). One hundred and two students participated, 62.2% of them were female. Portuguese students had significantly higher values than the American ones (p=0.025). Regarding the medical aspects, on average, students hit 63.8% of the questions, and the students from Portugal had significantly higher average than the ones from the United States (p=0.0007). Statements with lower percent of correct answers were about pathophysiology, medication, and treatment of the disease. There were no differences between the scores obtained by the students of each country in the social aspects of the disease. Statements with higher percent of mistakes were about sports practice, labor, proceedings in case of convulsion, and ability to drive vehicles. General knowledge of senior health students about epilepsy was considered low, however, regarding the medical aspects of the disease, students from Brazil and Portugal exhibited a slightly superior knowledge. Changing the way of seeing and treating people with epilepsy brings, as a consequence, increased opportunities for these people in different sectors of society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Souza
- Adventist University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute, Lucy Montoro Center, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Robert K Thomas
- Department of Science and Exercise at LaSierra University, California, United States.
| | - Jorge R Bonito
- Evora University, Evora, Portugal; Portuguese Society of Education Science, Portugal.
| | - Marilia Rua
- Health College at Aveiro University, Aveiro, Portugal; Family Health Nursing, Aveiro University, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Fabio J Pacheco
- Del Plata Adventist University, Libertador San Martin, Argentina.
| | - Phillip Plaatjes
- Faculty of Arts at Helderberg College, Somerset West, South Africa.
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KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF EPILEPSY AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN RAJASTHAN. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2015/2067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Panda SB, Prabhu K, Rao S, Rao A, Rao G, Datta A, Ramanan H, Kamath A. Evaluation of knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy among the health science students of Manipal University. Epilepsy Behav 2011; 20:447-9. [PMID: 21292559 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with respect to epilepsy among health science students of Manipal University. The study was conducted among first-year health science students of Kasturba Medical College on the Manipal and Mangalore campuses of Manipal University. All students willing to participate (n=587) were asked to answer a standardized questionnaire on epilepsy. Our study group included educated urban people from various ethnic backgrounds of various countries who chose health science as a career, which makes the study different from others. Even though most of the students had heard about epilepsy, very few knew about the underlying cause. Most of the students were ignorant about the drugs and ways to deal with epileptic seizures. Questions related to community and religion were deliberately avoided as some subjects found such questions offensive, which may have resulted in a difference in response as compared with previously published studies. It was observed that a large number of students were not aware of the nuances of epilepsy. However, we expect the knowledge, attitudes and awareness to improve considerably with time and increased exposure. These findings support a need to promote epilepsy awareness programs as a means of increasing public knowledge of epilepsy.
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