title: Evaluation of physical educators' knowledge about epilepsy.
abstract: People with epilepsy suffer from a considerable lack of physical activity. In addition, an important problem of epilepsy management is the lack of qualified professionals. In this study we present data from a survey which aimed to assess physical educators' general knowledge about epilepsy. One hundred and thirty four physical educators of both sexes answered a questionnaire. Sixty percent of the professionals believe that a seizure is an abnormal electrical discharge of the brain, 13% that epilepsy is a cerebral chronic disease that can not be cured or controlled, 84% that people having convulsions will not necessarily present epilepsy and 5% that people with epilepsy have difficulties of learning. Questions concerned previous professional experience with epilepsy showed that 61% have seen a seizure and 53% have access to some information about epilepsy. Thus, 28% of professionals have a friend or relative with epilepsy, 14% have a student with epilepsy, and 29% helped someone during seizures. Our findings reveal a lack of physical educators' appropriate knowledge about epilepsy. Improvement of this might contribute to the improvement of epilepsy care/management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Phisiology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Luiz
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Vancini
authors.forename: Claudio Andre Barbosa de
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lira
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomes da Silva
authors.forename: Fúlvio Alexandre
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scorza
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos da
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Esper Abrão
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
authors.forename: Ricardo Mario
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arida
mesh_terms: D004827:Epilepsy; D005178:Faculty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires