title: Knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy in Zambia: a questionnaire survey.
abstract: Misconception and stigma towards epilepsy have a profound impact on this disease in Africa. An unselected sample of Zambian people was interviewed to investigate their knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy. Proper/improper answers were scored, and a composite score was developed with negative values for unsatisfactory awareness and high stigma levels. The sample comprised 231 people residing in urban (107) or in rural (124) areas. The median and interquartile range of scores for epilepsy awareness and stigma were, respectively, -1 (-3; +1) and +1 (-1; +6). Poor education was the only significant predictor of unsatisfactory awareness (p=0.0131), while education and residency were significantly associated with stigma (p<0.0001 and p=0.0004). Rural people were mostly in the highest stigma level (44.2%) and urban people in the lowest stigma level (60.4%). Misconception and negative attitudes towards epilepsy among Zambian people reflect poor education and rural residency.
authors.affiliation: Departement of Neurosciences, IRCSS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pupillo
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, AO Province of Lodi, Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vitelli
authors.affiliation: Departement of Neurosciences, IRCSS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Departement of Neurosciences, IRCSS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milano, Italy. Electronic address: ettore.beghi@marionegri.it.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beghi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D004827:Epilepsy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D012424:Rural Population; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult; D015024:Zambia
keywords: Attitudes; Care; Epilepsy; Knowledge; Rural; Urban; Zambia