Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria | Research and Statistics Unit, Department of
Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counseling, University of Calabar,
Calabar, Nigeria
Note: [] Correspondence: Komomo I. Eyong, Department of Pediatrics,
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. E-mail:
komomoeyong@yahoo.com
Abstract: A cross sectional study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and
attitudes of secondary education teachers towards schoolchildren with epilepsy.
Questionnaires were administered to three randomly selected schools and
systematic random sampling method applied to select teachers in these schools.
Their demographic characteristics and responses to the questions were analyzed.
Out of the 105 teachers that returned completed forms, majority (97) were
university graduates. Sixty-nine (65.7%) are aware that epilepsy may be
caused by brain infection, 14 (13.3%) thought it is due to head trauma,
while eight (7.6%) associates epilepsy with evil spirits; three (2.9%)
thought that epilepsy follows a family curse and 11 (10.5%) were not sure of
the cause. Concerning treatment, 89 (84.8%) believed the disease is curable
but only 52.4% recommended orthodox treatment. Eighty-seven (82.9%) of
the respondents will assist a convulsing child while 18 (17.1%) would either
run away or not touch a convulsing child. Forty-nine (46.7%) of the teachers
believed that epilepsy is contagious. There is a statistically significant
relationship between the teachers who believed epilepsy is contagious and the
action taken when a child is convulsing (χ ^{2} = 21.06, P= 0.00).
Sixty (57.1%) of teachers thought that children with epilepsy are
intellectually deficient, nevertheless, only 37.1% recommended special
schools for children with epilepsy and another 11.4% suggested total
exclusion of the children from school. There is relative lack of knowledge on
epilepsy leading to misconceptions and stigmatization. These teachers can hand
on same misconceptions to their pupils and by extension the entire community.
We therefore, recommend an elaborate educational campaign on epilepsy by health professionals.
