Knowledge, Attitude & Practices related to Epilepsy among Parents of Epileptic Childrenattending Tertiary Care Hospitals in Ahmedabad city, Gujarat

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common pediatric neurological disorders and is a brain condition that causes a child to have seizure. Misconceptions and poor understanding about the nature of epilepsy contribute to the burden of disease and lead to stigma. Misconceptions and negative attitudes cause people with epilepsy to feel shame, embarrassment, and disgrace. The purpose of this study wasObjective: to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) related to Epilepsy amongst the parents of epileptic children. A cross-sectional study was conducted 187 parents of epileptic child who attendedMethod: outpatient department of selected hospitals of Ahmedabad. A structured interview of the parents of epileptic children was conducted using modified international questionnaires. Modified Bloom’s cut-off points were used to determine KAP levels. Kruskal–Wallis test was applied on knowledge, attitude and practice levels. Chi square test was used to find out association. The study showed that out of 187 respondents, aroundResults: 61% were from age group 31 to 40 years and 54.5% were females. Among all participants, 53.5% had Good knowledge, 84.5% of parents had good attitude. Around 18.2% parents had good practices and about 9.1% had poor practices related to epilepsy. There were statistically significant associations between knowledge, attitude, and practice score with respect to gender, age, and occupation. Parents knowledgeConclusion: regarding epilepsy was good as more than half of parents were having good knowledge. Majority of the parents had good attitude towards epilepsy. There was significant positive correlation between knowledge and practices about epilepsy. Attitudes and practices related to epilepsy also showed positive correlation.