University Students' Attitudes Towards Epilepsy in Madina

Abstract

Background: Over 50 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy, a condition often misunderstood. This misunderstanding leads to negative attitudes that can result in social isolation, discrimination, and a reduced quality of life for individuals with epilepsy. This lack of understanding exacerbates the burden of the disease. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the attitudes of Saudi Arabian university students towards people with epilepsy. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Settings: University students survey. Main Outcome Measures: this study was conducted to investigate the attitudes of Saudi Arabian university students towards people with epilepsy. Patients and Methods: An Arabic-speaking Taibah University students, aged 17 to 28 years, with an average age of 20.37 ±2.66 years are surveyed. Most participants were female (62.8%). All participants completed a structured online questionnaire to assess their general knowledge and understanding of epilepsy, their attitudes towards people with epilepsy, and their perceptions about employment, driving, and social participation for individuals with epilepsy. Sample Size: This study examined 137 Taibah University students from medical and non-medical colleges. Results: Although more than half of the study participants had some prior experience with epilepsy, only a small fraction (11.5%) correctly identified it as a physical condition. Despite recognizing the rights of individuals with epilepsy to participate in everyday life, a large number of participants expressed reservations about marrying (78.3%) or hiring (33.6%) someone with epilepsy. Additionally, a significant majority (77.6%) believe that individuals with epilepsy cannot live independently, and almost all (91.2%) believe they should not drive. These results emphasize the continued presence of significant misconceptions and stigmatization surrounding epilepsy. Conclusion: This research revealed a significant lack of knowledge regarding epilepsy among university students, indicating that the general public may be even less informed. This knowledge gap can exacerbate the difficulties experienced by individuals with epilepsy. Limitations: small sample size. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. All aspects of this work, including its design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication, were conducted independently and without influence from any external parties, financial or otherwise.