General public awareness, perceptions, and attitudes with respect to epilepsy in the Akwaya Health District, South-West Region, Cameroon.
BACKGROUND
This study was part of a series mandated by the Ministry of Public Health's National Epilepsy Control Program to obtain baseline data for a community-adapted epilepsy education program.


METHODS
We conducted 387 face-to-face interviews with subjects without epilepsy aged 15 years and above in 12 villages of the Akwaya Health District, Cameroon.


RESULTS
Most respondents (97.9%) had heard or read about epilepsy, 90.2% knew someone with epilepsy, and 90.4% had witnessed a seizure. About 51.4% would object to association with people with epilepsy (PWE), 68.7% would object to marriage to PWE, while 41.6% would offer them equal employment. For treatment, 30.2% would suggest going to a traditional healer or witch doctor, while 3.9% would not recommend any treatment at all. Predictors of attitudes were male gender, low or no level of education, having children, knowledge of the cause of epilepsy, and beliefs that epilepsy is contagious or is a form of insanity.


CONCLUSIONS
The high level of public awareness on epilepsy in the Akwaya Health District may suggest a high prevalence. This contrasts with prevailing negative attitudes. Our data provide new evidence for our hypothesis of regional variation in the determinants of epilepsy stigma in Cameroon.
Njamnshi
Alfred K
AK
Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon. aknjamnshi@yahoo.co.uk
Tabah
Earnest N
EN
Yepnjio
Faustin N
FN
Angwafor
Samuel A
SA
Dema
Fidele
F
Fonsah
Julius Y
JY
Kuate
Callixte T
CT
de Paul Djientcheu
Vincent
V
Angwafo
Fru
F
Muna
Walinjom F T
WF
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult