Alradhi Hassan Ali, Alturaiki Hassan, Bosbait Jannat, Alalmaei Nouf, Alsawad Rahmah, Maqboul Taif Al, Khan Saleha Ahmed, AlMuslim Nora
College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
College of Medicine, Dar Alullom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2025 Jun;14(6):2106-2112. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1495_24. Epub 2025 Jun 30.
Childhood absence seizures (CAS) are a form of epilepsy characterized by brief episodes of unconsciousness and staring spells. Despite their prevalence and potential impact on a child's development, awareness and knowledge about CAS among parents in Saudi Arabia remain poorly understood. This study aimed to assess parents' awareness and understanding of CAS in Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of children recruited from various regions in Saudi Arabia. The survey included questions related to demographic information, awareness of CAS, recognition of seizure symptoms, knowledge of appropriate actions during a seizure, and sources of information about seizures.
Our results indicate a lack of awareness and understanding of CAS among parents in Saudi Arabia. A significant proportion of respondents were unable to recognize common symptoms of absence seizures, often mistaking them for behavioral issues or other medical conditions. Furthermore, many parents demonstrated uncertainty regarding appropriate first-aid measures and misconceptions about the management of seizures.
These findings underscore the need for targeted educational interventions aimed at improving parental awareness and knowledge of childhood absence seizures in Saudi Arabia. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in disseminating accurate information and addressing misconceptions about epilepsy.
儿童失神癫痫（CAS）是癫痫的一种形式，其特征为短暂的意识丧失和凝视发作。尽管其发病率以及对儿童发育的潜在影响，但沙特阿拉伯父母对CAS的认识和了解仍然知之甚少。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯父母对CAS的认识和理解。
对从沙特阿拉伯各个地区招募的儿童的父母进行了横断面调查。该调查包括与人口统计学信息、对CAS的认识、癫痫发作症状的识别、癫痫发作时适当行动的知识以及癫痫发作信息来源相关的问题。
我们的结果表明沙特阿拉伯父母对CAS缺乏认识和理解。很大一部分受访者无法识别失神癫痫的常见症状，常常将其误认为是行为问题或其他医疗状况。此外，许多父母在适当的急救措施方面表现出不确定性，并且对癫痫发作的管理存在误解。
这些发现强调了有针对性的教育干预措施的必要性，旨在提高沙特阿拉伯父母对儿童失神癫痫的认识和知识。医疗保健提供者在传播准确信息和消除对癫痫的误解方面发挥着至关重要的作用。
