Schoolteacher's knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward student with epilepsy in Taif, Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Globally, teachers have misconceptions about epilepsy and its management. Little is known about Saudi Teachers’ knowledge about epilepsy in Taif City. METHOD: Descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of a sample of schoolteachers in Taif Governate. RESULTS: The study included (n = 420) schoolteachers. All heard about epilepsy and (n = 116, 27.6%) knew about epilepsy from an afflicted individual, and (n = 102, 24.3%) from social media outlets. Most teachers believed that an epileptic fit constitutes seizures (n = 370, 88.1%). Some (n = 330, 78.6%) were not satisfied with their knowledge level. Attitudes were positively associated with years of experience, but, generally, were only modest with 50.2% fearful of having an epileptic child in class. The mean practice score was 6.9 (out of 15). Practice was improved by having a pupil with epilepsy in class. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Schoolteachers in Taif showed excellent crude knowledge about epilepsy. However, knowledge of crucial details of the disorder were poor. This could be due to reliance on social media for information. There was high level of insight among schoolteachers regarding their sub-optimum knowledge levels. Knowledge was much better among experienced schoolteachers. Witnessing an epileptic fit improved knowledge. Teachers’ attitudes toward epilepsy were negative, likely because of significant epilepsy-related stigma. Years of experience were significantly associated with increased attitude score. Schoolteachers’ actual practice in handling epilepsy cases was below-expectation. There is pressing need for high-quality workshops to address knowledge and practice deficits.