Teachers and epilepsy: What they know, do not know, and need to know: A cross-sectional study of Taif City

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to assess schoolteachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy in Taif City, in the western region of Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A structured 28-item questionnaire was distributed to and collected from 290 schoolteachers between November 2017 and November 2018 in Taif City. RESULTS: Generally, a negative attitude toward epilepsy was observed in this study. Of the 290 schoolteachers in this study, 80% had prior knowledge regarding epilepsy and 72% had witnessed a seizure. Only 2% of the participants expressed the thought that epilepsy is contagious but 59% of them expressed the thought that epilepsy is a mental disease. With respect to attitude, 64% of the participants reported that they would not approve of their daughter/son marrying someone with epilepsy. This attitude correlates with age and marital status as the prevalence of this attitude was higher among those who were either over 40 years old or married (P < 0.05). Although 73% of the participants stated that they know the correct management procedure to follow when helping an epilepsy patient during a seizure, inadequate practices are still performed by many. Finally, almost two-thirds of the respondents (66%) expressed the opinion that top-ranking professions are not suitable for people with epilepsy. This belief was twice as common among older respondents as it was among younger respondents (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that schoolteachers’ knowledge regarding epilepsy is limited and that an immediate intervention through educational campaigns is required to develop a well-informed community.