title: Evaluating the initial impact of the Riyadh Epilepsy Awareness Campaign.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We determine the impact of an educational awareness campaign on the level of knowledge and the attitude of the Saudi population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in an attempt to improve the awareness and reduce the social stigma associated with epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Saudi Epilepsy Society organized a citywide awareness campaign in 2013. A survey consisting of 11 questions pertaining to epilepsy awareness was distributed to Saudi citizens living in Riyadh, aged 15 years and above, in malls, health clubs, mosques, universities, and schools during that campaign. The same questionnaire was administered before and after the awareness campaign to the same individuals on the same day to assess the impact of the campaign (n=2118).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The epilepsy awareness campaign significantly raised the general knowledge about epilepsy: 1519 before vs. 1944 after (P<0.001) would allow their children to interact with an individual who had epilepsy; 1567 before vs. 688 after (P<0.001) would not want their children to marry an individual with epilepsy. Eight hundred twenty six before vs. 47 after (P<0.001) thought that epilepsy is untreatable. Regarding the causes of epilepsy, 1663 before vs. 896 after (P<0.001) believed that epilepsy is caused by supernatural powers, and 1224 before vs. 1874 after (P<0.001) chose brain disease as a cause of epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that epilepsy awareness campaigns can close knowledge gaps. A long-term reevaluation may be needed to assess awareness sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaqeel
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hisham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamalmaz
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hussam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abou Al-Shaar
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Surgery, Neurosciences Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: AlZahrani
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Alaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaqeel
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Samiha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aljetaily
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Amjad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldrees
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Alanood
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alsolaihim
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badghesh
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Al-Bandari
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Al Hamzah
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: AlGethami
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: AlBatool
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Khalaf
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Feras
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alqunaieer
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
authors.forename: Iyad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: AbouAl-Shaar
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Sciences Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medicine, McGill University, 1001 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal (Quebec) H4A 3J1.
authors.forename: Aws
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: AlMufleh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City, King Saud University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute, Kind Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Abdulrahman.Sabbagh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sabbagh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D057545:Social Stigma; D012952:Societies; D013483:Superstitions; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Awareness; Epilepsy; Epilepsy education; Perceptions of epilepsy; Public attitudes; Public awareness