INSERM UMR1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Limoges, France; Univ Limoges, School of Medicine, Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France; Université des Sciences de la Santé, DEBIM, EA NEMIT, Faculté de Médecine, Libreville, Gabon.
INSERM UMR1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Limoges, France; Univ Limoges, School of Medicine, Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France.
Seizure. 2019 Oct;71:145-150. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2019.07.014. Epub 2019 Jul 16.
Perceptions, beliefs and culture influence attitude towards epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. Misconceptions on epilepsy contribute to the persistence of negative attitudes in children with epilepsy particularly on their school enrollment. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and sociocultural factors affecting schooling of children with epilepsy in Gabon.
Teachers and health workers from two urban and four rural localities of Gabon were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire.
Overall 1310 subjects filled the survey questionnaire, including 813 teachers and 497 health workers. Knowledge on risk factors and suggestive signs of childhood epilepsy were globally poor. Misconceptions on etiology of epilepsy were significant with contagiousness (27.5%) and demonic possession (16.0%) representing the major prevalent idea about the origin of epilepsy in children. Attitudes of teachers and health workers towards schooling of children with epilepsy were positive (85.0%). However, more than half recommended enrollment of these children in specialized school programs. In multivariate analysis, education level (OR = 1.40; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.81) and marital status (OR = 1.62; 95% confidence interval 1.18-2.22) were sociocultural factors likely to affect chances of school enrollment of children with epilepsy.
Understanding the influence of socio-cultural factors surrounding school enrollment of children with epilepsy could enhance public awareness campaigns about epilepsy and to improve school integration of these children.
在撒哈拉以南非洲，观念、信仰和文化会影响人们对癫痫的态度。人们对癫痫存在误解，这导致了癫痫患儿，尤其是那些在学校的癫痫患儿，持续面临负面态度。本研究旨在评估影响加蓬癫痫患儿入学的知识、态度和社会文化因素。
我们对加蓬两个城市和四个农村地区的教师和卫生工作者进行了问卷调查。
共有 1310 人填写了调查问卷，其中包括 813 名教师和 497 名卫生工作者。他们对儿童癫痫的危险因素和提示性症状的了解普遍较差。对癫痫病因的误解很普遍，其中 27.5%的人认为癫痫具有传染性，16.0%的人认为癫痫是由恶魔附身引起的，这两种观点是儿童癫痫起源的主要观点。教师和卫生工作者对癫痫患儿入学的态度是积极的（85.0%）。然而，超过一半的人建议这些孩子进入专门的学校项目。多因素分析显示，教育水平（OR=1.40；95%置信区间 1.01-1.81）和婚姻状况（OR=1.62；95%置信区间 1.18-2.22）是影响癫痫患儿入学机会的社会文化因素。
了解影响癫痫患儿入学的社会文化因素，可以增强公众对癫痫的认识，促进这些儿童融入学校。
