title: Parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards children with epilepsy in Belgrade (Serbia).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents whose children were diagnosed with epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 213 consecutive parents who accompanied their children, diagnosed with epilepsy, at regular checkups in the outpatient department of the Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic in Belgrade. Data were obtained through a questionnaire before completion of the child's neurological checkup, while clinical parameters of children with epilepsy were taken from medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all respondents knew that epilepsy is not an infectious disease (99.5%), while the least proportion of parents (31.9%) knew that epilepsy is not, for the most part, hereditary. Parents felt that their family and friends should know that their child is suffering from epilepsy (average score: 4.3 out of 5). Also, parents felt the most confident in taking care of their child during seizures (4.7 out of 5), while they felt the least confident in letting their child go on school trips for several days (3.4 out of 5). Parental longer schooling (i.e., higher education level) was an independent predictor of higher epilepsy knowledge. Taking less number of medications was an independent predictor of more supportive parental behavior towards children with epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some epilepsy-related issues still require improvement in parental knowledge. Ensuring education and support at community and school levels for both parents and children with epilepsy should be the principal goal of health-care service.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gazibara
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jovana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nikolovski
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lakic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pekmezovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: darijakt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Darija
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kisic-Tepavcevic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D055771:Serbia / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitudes; Behaviors; Childhood epilepsy; Knowledge; Parents