Epilepsy in Laos: knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the community.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated beliefs about, attitudes toward, and stigma associated with epilepsy in four districts of central Laos.


METHODS
For this study, 83 people with epilepsy, 83 family members, and 166 matched villagers in Vientiane Province were interviewed.


RESULTS
From patients to families to villagers, there existed a significantly increasing gradient of misbeliefs. Dubbed locally as "mad pig disease," epilepsy was viewed as having a supernatural origin by 25-42% of respondents, a life-threatening disease by 60%, a disease transmissible by consumption of pork meat by 10-21%, and a disease transmissible by contact with patients' saliva by 14.5% of patients and 44% of villagers (P<0.01). Stigma was high. People thought that they should avoid contact or sharing meals with patients (15% of patients, 62% of family members, P<0.001), and that persons with epilepsy should not get a job, get married (29 and 42%, P<0.016), or raise children (33-42%).


CONCLUSIONS
Wrong beliefs may lead to stigma and hamper access to or compliance with modern epilepsy treatment. In traditional countries, education is the cornerstone of epilepsy management.
Tran
Duc-Si
DS
Institut de la Francophonie pour la Médecine Tropicale, Vientiane, Lao Democratic people's Republic.
Odermatt
Peter
P
Singphuoangphet
Soukhanthone
S
Druet-Cabanac
Michel
M
Preux
Pierre-Marie
PM
Strobel
Michel
M
Barennes
Hubert
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005392:First Aid; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012640:Seizures / Q000628:therapy