Gosavi Tushar D, Wang Stella, See Siew Ju, Ng John, Lim Shih Hui
National Neuroscience Institute and Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
Speciality Nursing, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Singapore Epilepsy Foundation, Singapore.
Epilepsy Behav. 2018 Dec;89:143-147. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.10.019. Epub 2018 Nov 8.
A survey to assess the familiarity, attitudes, and knowledge about epilepsy was done using a questionnaire identical to the one used in 1999. Two hundred forty-six people participated in our survey in 2017 as compared with 214 in the 1999 survey. In terms of familiarity about epilepsy, 76% had heard or read about epilepsy, 55.7% had witnessed a seizure, and 35.8% knew someone with epilepsy (85%, 56%, and 36% respectively in 1999). Forty point five percent were not familiar with or did not know what to do if they witnessed a seizure (44% in 1999); 25.6% would put something in the mouth of a person having a seizure (32% in 1999). In terms of attitudes towards epilepsy, 14.6% would object to their children associating with one with epilepsy while 19.9% would object to their children marrying a person with epilepsy (13% and 36% respectively in 1999). Only 43.1% would employ a person with epilepsy while 68.3% would employ if seizures do not interfere with the job (42 and 66% respectively in 1999). In terms of knowledge of seizures and epilepsy, 66.3% associated epileptic attack with convulsion (68% in 1999). Only 37.5% were aware of nonconvulsive forms of epilepsy (25% in 1999). Twenty-six point eight percent did not know what treatment to recommend to relatives/friends with epilepsy while 60.6% recommend western medicine (22% and 60% respectively in 1999). CONCLUSION: The awareness, attitudes, and understanding towards epilepsy does not seem to show any significant difference when compared with that in 1999. Reluctance to marry and employ a person with epilepsy persists. The awareness about first aid of a patient having a seizure, attitudes towards marrying a person with epilepsy, and the understanding of cause of epilepsy have shown some positive changes over 17 years.
采用与1999年相同的问卷进行了一项调查，以评估对癫痫的熟悉程度、态度和知识。2017年有246人参与了我们的调查，而1999年的调查有214人。在对癫痫的熟悉程度方面，76%的人听说过或读过关于癫痫的内容，55.7%的人目睹过癫痫发作，35.8%的人认识患有癫痫的人（1999年分别为85%、56%和36%）。40.5%的人不熟悉癫痫发作，或者如果目睹发作不知道该怎么做（1999年为44%）；25.6%的人会往癫痫发作的人嘴里放东西（1999年为32%）。在对癫痫的态度方面，14.6%的人会反对自己的孩子与癫痫患者交往，而19.9%的人会反对自己的孩子与癫痫患者结婚（1999年分别为13%和36%）。只有43.1%的人会雇佣癫痫患者，而68.3%的人会在癫痫发作不影响工作的情况下雇佣（1999年分别为42%和66%）。在对癫痫发作和癫痫的知识方面，66.3%的人将癫痫发作与抽搐联系起来（1999年为68%）。只有37.5%的人知道癫痫的非惊厥形式（1999年为25%）。26.8%的人不知道该向患有癫痫的亲戚/朋友推荐什么治疗方法，而60.6%的人推荐西药（1999年分别为22%和60%）。结论：与1999年相比，对癫痫的认识、态度和理解似乎没有显示出任何显著差异。对与癫痫患者结婚和雇佣癫痫患者仍存在抵触情绪。在17年里，对癫痫发作患者急救的认识、对与癫痫患者结婚的态度以及对癫痫病因的理解都出现了一些积极变化。
