The Relationship between Mothers' Epilepsy-related Knowledge and their Healthcare Practices and Attitudes, Alexandria, Egypt | ||
| Alexandria Scientific Nursing Journal | ||
| Volume 19, Issue 1, July 2017, Pages 58-74 PDF (269.88 K) | ||
| Document Type: Research articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/asalexu.2017.208331 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Hala Ibrahim* 1; Zeinab Shata2 | ||
| 1Public Health Nursing, Family Health Department, High Institute of Public Health (HIPH), Alexandria University | ||
| 2Mental Health, Family Health Department, High Institute of Public Health (HIPH), Alexandria University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Maternal knowledge about childhood epilepsy is an important aspect affecting their healthcare practices and attitudes towards their children. Objective: Assess level of mothers' knowledge about childhood epilepsy, to investigate its relation to their healthcare practices and attitudes, and to identify socio-demographic, educational and disease-related factors associated with mothers’ knowledge level. Setting: The study was carried out in Smouha Health Insurance Child Mental Health Clinic affiliated to the Health Insurance Organization, Alexandria–Egypt. Subjects: The subjects of present study comprised of 308 mothers attending the clinic for follow up of their epileptic children. Tool: A predesigned questionnaire was used to assess mothers' epilepsy-related knowledge, practices and attitudes. Results: The majority of mothers (80.5%) showed unsatisfactory knowledge. Most of them (91.9%) agreed on observing the child all the time for safety; showed good compliance with children's medications for dose (83.4%) and time (72.7%). More than half (54.2%) did not treat their children as normal ones (overprotection/rejection). The higher level of mother's knowledge was associated significantly with disagreement on observing the child all the time (P= 0.000), and with medication compliance (P= 0.034). Only grand mal seizures predicted higher level of mothers' knowledge (B= 0.961, P= 0.015). Conclusion: Mothers' knowledge about epilepsy was considerably low. Higher knowledge level was associated with positive attitudes and practices. Recommendations: Integrating an educational component to healthcare plans of epileptic children is recommended. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Childhood epilepsy; Mothers' knowledge; Attitude; Practice; Egypt | ||
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