Research Information System
NEUROLOGY ASIA, vol.29, no.1, pp.87-96, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Background & Objective: Epilepsy is not only a common neurological disorder, but also a stigmatising
cause of psychosocial difficulties and discrimination. This study aimed to evaluate adults’ knowledge
levels and attitudes toward epilepsy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August
and September 2022 from four family healthcare units in Samsun, Türkiye. In the questionnaire, a
personal information form, the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS), and the Epilepsy Attitude Scale
(EAS) were used. Results: Four hundred and six people participated in this study. The mean age of
the participants was 39.4±13.6 years, and 54.2% were women. The mean EKS score was 9.9±3.1
(Maximum 16), and the mean EAS score was 56.8±8.9 (Maximum 70). University graduates (p=0.001),
participants familiar with individuals with epilepsy (p<0.001), with epilepsy in the family (p<0.001),
who had witnessed epileptic seizures (p<0.001), who had previously heard about epilepsy (p<0.001), and
who had read about epilepsy (p<0.001) registered higher mean epilepsy knowledge scores. Participants
over 35 (p=0.002), unmarried individuals (p<0.001), university graduates (p<0.001), the employed
(p=0.008), participants with children (p<0.001), who knew individuals with epilepsy (p=0.016), with
epilepsy patients in the family (p=0.023), who had witnessed epileptic seizures (p<0.001), who had
previously heard of epilepsy (p=0.012), and who had read about epilepsy (p<0.001) registered higher
mean attitudes to epilepsy scores. Positive attitudes toward epilepsy increased according to the level
of knowledge of epilepsy (r=0.387; p<0.001).
Conclusion: The participants from Samsun, Türkiye exhibited moderate levels of knowledge about
epilepsy and positive attitudes toward the disease. Increasing levels of knowledge were associated
with increasingly positive attitudes toward epilepsy.