Belief systems of epilepsy and attitudes toward people living with epilepsy in a rural community of northern Tanzania.
The social stigma toward people with epilepsy (PWE) varies greatly between cultures. In this study, 167 people (59 PWE, 62 relatives, 46 villagers) in a rural area of northern Tanzania were interviewed at the hospital and in the community regarding their prevailing beliefs about epilepsy and attitudes toward PWE. Seventy-eight of those interviewed (46.7%) thought that epilepsy was due to supernatural causes, but 86 (51.5%) assumed that epilepsy is caused by brain disorders or is inherited. According to the interviewees, epilepsy impacts on the lives of affected people. 65.3% (n=109) thought that PWE should not attend school or go to work and 38.3% (n=64) were of the opinion that PWE had decreased chances of getting married. A minority (11.4%; n=19) thought that epilepsy was a reason not to have children. In summary, supernatural and more scientific ideas about the causes of epilepsy seem to coexist. Nevertheless, there is considerable stigma toward PWE, which needs to be interpreted within the sociocultural context of the study.
Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine and Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. drawinkler@yahoo.com.au
Andrea Sylvia
AS
Winkler
Michael
M
Mayer
Silke
S
Schnaitmann
Michael
M
Ombay
Bartholomayo
B
Mathias
Erich
E
Schmutzhard
Louise
L
Jilek-Aall
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003469:Culture; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012938:Social Perception; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult