A STUDY ON KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE

PRACTICE OF EPILEPSY AND MARRIAGE

IN BENGALI SPEAKING PATIENTS ATTENDING
A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KOLKATA

Dr.Jayanta Ghosal, Resident

Prof. Goutam Ganguly.
Department of Neuromedicine BIN Kolkata
 Epilepsy commonly effects young people
in the most productive years of their lives
Economic and financial burdens are
common to people with epilepsy due to
low education levels therefore they obtain
low paying jobs or are unable to find
employment.

2
Should they divulge that they have epilepsy?
Many times it can prove to be a
disadvantage
Jobs are refused to people with epilepsy
Marriage negotiations are often broken,

3
Backgrounds:

EPILEPSY

Impact of epilepsy
as a social stigma in NON
DISCLO STIGMA
married life highlight SURE
DISCLO
SURE

the need to
understand the MARRIAGE

influence of epilepsy
on marriage, COMPLICATIONS
Backgrounds(CONT):
EPILEPSY

The effect of epilepsy in

marriage and DISCLO
NON
STIGMA DISCLO
SURE
should it be revealed or SURE

concealed during a
marriage negotiations MARRIAGE
and
what will be the effect
COMPLICATIONS
of epilepsy on their
married life and future
offspring.
Backgrounds(CONT):
EPILEPSY
As the management of
epilepsy does not end
in prescribing anti DISCLO STIGMA
NON
DISCLO
SURE
epileptic medications, it SURE

is also to help them to

adapt in society and MARRIAGE

lead a normal family life

and going through the COMPLICATIONS
uncomplicated
pregnancy and child
birth as far as possible.
Backgrounds(CONT):

So we hereby designing this study to

assess the knowledge attitude and
practice of epilepsy prevalent in the
persons with epilepsy and their effect on
married life so that a better management
of people with epilepsy can be formulated
to enable them to lead a better life
Methodology:

Type of study:

Cross sectional observation study

Study Setting & Sourcing of participants:

Conseutive patients attending epilepsy clinic

and Neuromedicine OPD of Bangur Institute of
Neurology fullfilling inclusion criteria.
Inclusion criteria:

Male and Female epileptic patients in the age

group of 19 to 40 years.
Patients with epilepsy for a duration more
than two years .
Patients who are married or expected to be
married within one year or divorced .
Patients who can read write and
understand Bengali Language
Exclusion criteria:

Who will not give consent

Patients with other neurological problems
along with epilepsy.
Patients with mental retardation and
psychiatric disorder along with epilepsy.
Patient with systemic disease along with
epilepsy.
Results:

The total 57 persons with epilepsy participated

in study.
They comprised of 18 males and 39 females.
Age ranged from 19 to 40 years.
Response to KAP questionnaire is summarized
in table-1.
Table 1:Response to Knowledge Attitude Practice of
Epilepsy and Marriage Questionnaire (Selected)
Don't
Yes No
know
Have you ever heard of a disease called
54 03 00
epilepsy?
Is epilepsy a mental illness? 15 30 12
Is epilepsy a contagious disease? 01 54 02
Do yon think epilepsy is caused by ancestors
03 50 04
sin?
Will you reveal about the epilepsy of your
45 07 06
daughter before marriage?
Will you reveal about the epilepsy of your son
40 08 09
before marriage?
Wheather women with epilepsy can conceive ? 51 03 03
Table 1:Response to Knowledge Attitude Practice of Epilepsy
and Marriage Questionnaire (Selected) cont:
Don't
Yes No
know
Whether epilepsy patients can breastfeed their
30 09 18
children?
Do you think that epilepsy patients can be
37 09 11
employed?
Would you allow your child to play with a child
54 03 00
with epilepsy?
Do you think ayurvedic treatment is beneficial for
48 00 09
epilepsy?
What would you do if you happened to see a
person getting an epileptic attack?
a.Take him to a
39 00 12
hospital
b.Make him hold a
11 39 07
bunch of keys
c.Sprinkle water over
51 03 04
his face
 Table 2: Socio-demographic profile of subjects with epilepsy

Parameter Category Frequency Percentage

Age (in years): 19-25 27 47.36
26-35 22 38.59
36-40 8 14.03
Sex: Male 18 31.57
Female 39 68.42
Marital Status: Unmarried 15 26.31
Married 42 73.68
Religion: Hindu 45 78.94
Muslim 12 21.05
Table 2: Socio-demographic profile of subjects with epilepsy
Parameter Category Frequency Percentage
Education: Primary 10 17.54
Secondary 26 45.61
Intermediate 15 26.31
Graduate and 6 10.52
above
Occupation: Housewife 33 57.89
Business 9 15.78
Agricultural 5 8.77
worker
Service 3 5.26
Labourer 3 5.26
Student 4 7.02
Monthly 5000 10 17.54
Income: 5000-10000 32 56.14
10000 12 21.25
KNOWLEDGE :

Majority of persons (94%) were heard

about epilepsy.
Regarding cause of epilepsy 62% believe
that epilepsy is an organic brain disorder
while
26% believe that epilepsy is a mental
problem.
KNOWLEDGE :

Misconceptions like epilepsy is a result of

previous life sin (3 persons), contagious (1
person) and is hereditary disorder (2
persons) are much less prevalent than
other studies.
89% believe that women with epilepsy can
conceive but only 55% believe that they
can deliver a healthy baby and 55%
believe they can breastfeed their babies.
ATTITUDE :
10 persons thought that epilepsy creates
hindrance in normal life functioning .
None believe that person with epilepsy
should not marry or may not have normal
sexual relations.
79% said they will reveal about the
epilepsy of daughter and
72% about their son before marriage.
ATTITUDE :

15 percent persons believe that society

should behave differently with a person
with epilepsy.
About 94% persons would allow their kids
to play with an epileptic child.
40% persons thought epilepsy cause
disturbence in studies while
15% believe that epileptic persons can
not be employed.
PRACTICE :

All patients believe that allopathic

medications are effective in treatment of
epilepsy
but
Most (94%) also believed Ayurvedic
medicines to be effective in treatment of
epilepsy.
PRACTICE :

Regarding first aid treatment, 68% would

prefer to take the patient to hospital.
However, 89% would sprinkle water on
face and even
18% would give bunch of keys in hand of
patient respectively.
Conclusion:

Analysis of data conforms to other Indian

studies(1,2) though regional variation exists due
to variation in composition of rural and urban
population, literacy rate and other difference in
regional attitudes.

1.Knowledge, attitude and practices among patients of epilepsy attending tertiary hospital
in Delhi, India and a review of Indian studies M Gourie-Devi, Vijander Singh,Kiran Bala
Neurology Asia 2010; 15(3) : 225 232.
2. Radhakrishnan K, Pandian JD, Santoshkumar T, et al. Prevalence, knowledge,
attitude and practice of epilepsy in Kerala, South India. Epilepsia 2000; 41:1027 -35
Conclusion (cont):

The patients are in general better informed than

the general population
There are still certain misconception which are
found to be prevalent in this study
Epilepsy is a mental disease thought by 26% of
people,
Conclusion (cont):

Women though they can conceive , may not

have have a healthy baby thought by 28% of
patients
Almost 30% are not sure wheather the babies
can be breastfed.
It has also been seen that 94% believes that
Ayurvedic treatment is effective in epilepsy and
sprinkling of water is beneficial for the patient
during the fits.
Conclusion (cont):

Though this is a small study the data emerging

should guide us to plan future studies to find the
problems in this population for management of
misconception and betterment of attitude and
practice towards the disease.
 THIS IS AN ONGOING STUDY SO THE
TRENDS WILL BE ANALYSED AFTER
FINAL RESULTS AVAILABLE.

Thank You