Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakesh, Neurology Department, BP 7010, Sidi Abbad, Marrakech 40000, Morocco; Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Marrakesh Medical School, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.
Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakesh, Neurology Department, BP 7010, Sidi Abbad, Marrakech 40000, Morocco; Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Marrakesh Medical School, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.
Epilepsy Behav. 2020 Oct;111:107257. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107257. Epub 2020 Jul 11.
Epilepsy remains one of the most common neurological diseases in the world but seems to be widely misunderstood, especially in low-income countries. Patients with epilepsy (PWE) can face considerable stigma in society, and there have been various studies that evaluate the knowledge and attitude of the population towards epilepsy. However, there was no study of this kind in Morocco.
Our aim was thus to assess knowledge, attitudes, and traditional practices specifically among relatives and caregivers of PWE in our community, in order to better evaluate their educational needs.
This cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out over a year long period in the outpatient neurology clinic of the Mohammed 6 University Hospital, a tertiary referral center in Marrakesh, Morocco. The respondents were relatives of PWE (usually parents and siblings) or spouses who attended the outpatient clinic alongside them. The interviews were carried out by the same investigator at the outpatient clinic during patient's visits, face-to-face using Moroccan Arabic or Darija, with an 18-item questionnaire.
Responses of 100 participants were analyzed. The mean age was 40 years old and 5 months. Sixty-six percent of the respondents were women, 50% of rural origin and 76 % lived in an urban area. Forty-one percent were illiterate, and 74% were of low income. Only 65% of the participants knew the Arabic term for epilepsy. For 48%, epilepsy was linked with witchcraft or demonic possession. Seventy-five percent of the respondents had at least one prior consultation to a traditional healer. Only 5% in our study knew the first-aid basics to apply in case of a seizure.
Despite having a relative with epilepsy, our participants' knowledge was very poor. The level of education and income seem to be the two major contributing factors. Cultural beliefs and superstition are very pervasive, and the majority of our sample had already used traditional healing and alternative medicine. Our study highlights the need for a more global intervention in Morocco encompassing healthcare policies, awareness campaigns, and educational reforms.
癫痫是世界上最常见的神经系统疾病之一，但在低收入国家，人们对癫痫的认识似乎存在很大的误解。癫痫患者（PWE）在社会上可能会面临相当大的耻辱，已有各种研究评估了人群对癫痫的认识和态度。然而，摩洛哥尚未进行此类研究。
因此，我们旨在评估我们社区中 PWE 的亲属和照顾者对癫痫的知识、态度和传统做法，以便更好地评估他们的教育需求。
这是一项为期一年的横断面和描述性研究，在摩洛哥马拉喀什的三级转诊中心穆罕默德六世大学医院的门诊神经科进行。受访者是 PWE 的亲属（通常是父母和兄弟姐妹）或配偶，他们与患者一起在门诊就诊。调查员在患者就诊期间在门诊面对面使用摩洛哥阿拉伯语或达里语进行访谈，使用 18 项问卷。
分析了 100 名参与者的回答。平均年龄为 40 岁零 5 个月。66%的受访者为女性，50%来自农村，76%居住在城市地区。41%的人是文盲，74%的人收入较低。只有 65%的参与者知道癫痫的阿拉伯语术语。对于 48%的人来说，癫痫与巫术或恶魔附身有关。75%的受访者至少曾咨询过传统治疗师。在我们的研究中，只有 5%的人知道在癫痫发作时进行急救的基本知识。
尽管有亲属患有癫痫，但我们参与者的知识非常匮乏。教育程度和收入似乎是两个主要的影响因素。文化信仰和迷信非常普遍，我们的样本大多数人已经使用了传统的治疗方法和替代医学。我们的研究强调了在摩洛哥需要更全面的干预措施，包括医疗保健政策、宣传活动和教育改革。
