title: [Knowledge and attitude toward epilepsy among health area students].
abstract: Several studies in different countries show a lack of knowledge about epilepsy with consequent prejudice and discrimination to epileptic patients. We aim to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of health area junior and senior students. Simple self-administered questionnaires were applied to 290 junior students and to 274 senior students. Senior students had more familiarity, better knowledge about etiology and had a more positive perception about anticonvulsant medication. Positive attitudes about work were more common among senior students. Although, significant percentage of students had a lack of knowledge about epilepsy. A third of the respondents could use improper and potentially harmful measures during a seizure. Actions directed to increment the knowledge and attitudes of health area students could improve the quality of life of patients with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas, SP, Brazil. lineu@mpc.com.br
authors.forename: Lineu Corrêa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Gloria M A S
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Tedrus
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Freire
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Paulo Queiroz
authors.initials: PQ
authors.lastname: Luciano
authors.forename: Kátia Cristina
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires