Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Epilepsy Among Students of Health Occupations in a University

Objectives: The aim of this study was to define knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy among students of health occupations in a university. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with a total of 544 university students from different health professions (medicine, nursing, dentistry, physiotherapy, and midwifery). To select the sample of the study, stratified sampling method was used. In this study, Epilepsy Attitude Scale and Epilepsy Knowledge Assessment Form were used. Results: Among the 544 participants, 59.6% were female and the mean age was 21.7 years. While the majority of the sample recognized a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, they did not know about other seizure types. The mean score of the Attitude Scale was 60.2 +/- 6.4 (range: 30-70). The attitudes were not different between males and females (p=0.732). The students who had a family member with epilepsy (p=0.004) or witnessed a seizure (p=0.05) and attended upper classes had a more positive attitude (p=0.004). Conclusion: Although the sample of this study which consisted of students from health occupations had moderate to good attitude toward epilepsy; they still have a lack of knowledge in particular areas. Each faculty needs to re-arrange their curriculum to fill this knowledge gap.