title: Knowledge of epilepsy among teachers in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epileptic patients face social stigmatization due to negative attitudes and incorrect knowledge on epilepsy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate knowledge of epilepsy among teachers in Khon Kaen province.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire distributed to 102 teachers who attended the training lectures on epilepsy. The number of correct responses for each item were collected. The statistical analysis included the percentage of correct response and the means of the total scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most (78.4%) respondents understood that a seizure is an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain, while 54.9% thought it included a form of abnormal movement and 1% demonic possession. The generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCs) was the type of seizure with which most respondents were familiar (90.2%), while 23.5% had knowledge of absence seizures. The respondents identified the following as causes for epilepsy: 1) head injury (84%); 2) genetic disease (74.5%); 3) high fever (68%); and, 4) brain tumor (57%). A small minority associated epilepsy with eating pork (11%) and even fewer (2%) with a non-organic/non-physical cause. Only 16% of respondents thought epilepsy was incurable, and a quarter (27%) of the teachers thought epileptics required anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) life long, while 20 and 9 percent believed patients would take AEDs for 3-6 months and only for episodes, respectively. About 57% of the teachers thought epileptics needed AEDs for 2-5 years. Most (77-79%) respondents thought epileptics were prohibited from using machinery or driving, and 63% thought alcohol would be prohibited. Almost two-thirds of the teachers (64%) thought they should try to place an object between the teeth of a person having an episode in order to prevent a biting injury to the tongue and 27% would restrain the person and perform chest compressions (CPR). The average total score for correct answers on the questionnaire was about 60% (29.26/50). Respondents generally understood that epilepsy is controllable (82%) and were able to identify a seizure (78.4%). The lowest scores were found in the section on identifying the types of seizures (37.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teachers' knowledge of epilepsy was incomplete; thus, an epilepsy education campaign is needed and should emphasize the types of seizures, the causes of epilepsy, and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Somsak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiamkao
authors.forename: Narong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aaauevitchayapat
authors.forename: Suwanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arunpongpaisal
authors.forename: Aporanee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaiyakum
authors.forename: Suthipun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jitpimolmard
authors.forename: Warinthorn
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Phuttharak
authors.forename: Kutcharin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phunikhom
authors.forename: Jiamjit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saengsuwan
authors.forename: Surin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saetang
authors.forename: Siriporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiamkao
authors.forename: Suda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vannaprasaht
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D004827:Epilepsy; D005178:Faculty; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D013785:Thailand