Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Epilepsy among Urban and Rural North Indians

Description

Page: 142-146

Shamsher Dwivedee¹ and Natasha Khullar Kumar²
(Chairman and Director Neuroscience, VIMHANS Hospital-New Delhi¹ and Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon, Haryana²)

The present study is about providing cost-effective care for patients with epilepsy is compromised by widespread poverty, illiteracy, social stigma and misconceptions surrounding the disease. The objective of the study is to study differences in knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of epilepsy among the urban and rural population of North India. The correlation between age, education and KAP was also studied. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in out in Madhuban (rural area in Haryana) and Lucknow (urban area in Uttar Pradesh). A KAP questionnaire was developed and validated for use. Data collection was done by trained social workers. 3734 participants were residents of rural areas and 909 lived in urban areas. The number of individuals who believed that psychiatric illness is different from epilepsy was 62% in rural and 63% in urban areas respectively. 60 % of individuals in rural and 75 % in urban areas believed that patients with epilepsy can marry and bear children. 45% of the respondents in rural areas and 7% of the respondents in urban areas believed that epilepsy is contagious. To conclude, residents of rural areas have poorer KAP toward epilepsy than those of urban areas. Lower education and higher age were correlated with poorer KAP.