Epilepsy management in primary healthcare: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among health professionals in Palestine

IF 2.3 3区医学 Q2 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Epilepsy & Behavior Pub Date : 2025-02-28 DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2025.110345

Abeer Ghanayem , Hussein Hallak

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Primary healthcare practitioners play a key role in the comprehensive care of epilepsy. People with epilepsy require suitable guidance for self-management to enhance their health and well-being. The aim was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices about epilepsy management among the primary healthcare professionals.

Methods

Cross-sectional quantitative research was employed. Healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare clinics completed an online, self-administered questionnaire between April and June 2024.

Results

Three hundred valid questionnaires were analyzed. Healthcare professionals demonstrated moderate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and proactive practices in epilepsy management. Pearson’s correlation revealed a significant negative relationship between practices and knowledge (r = -0.170, p < 0.01) and a positive association with attitudes (r = 0.279, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that knowledge were negatively correlated with gender and specialty but positively with educational degree (OR = 0.640, 95 % CI: 1.260–0.020, p = 0.043; OR = 1.970, 95 % CI: 2.841–0.099, p < 0.001). Attitudes were positively associated with age (OR = 2.552, 95 % CI: 0.974–4.130, p = 0.002) and years of experience (OR = 2.387, 95 % CI: 0.546–4.227, p = 0.011).

Conclusions

Findings indicate gaps in epilepsy knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The study underscores the need for comprehensive training initiatives in Palestine to enhance epilepsy management in primary healthcare settings.

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来源期刊

Epilepsy & Behavior 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

5.40

自引率

15.40%

发文量

385

审稿时长

43 days

期刊介绍： Epilepsy & Behavior is the fastest-growing international journal uniquely devoted to the rapid dissemination of the most current information available on the behavioral aspects of seizures and epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior presents original peer-reviewed articles based on laboratory and clinical research. Topics are drawn from a variety of fields, including clinical neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuroimaging. From September 2012 Epilepsy & Behavior stopped accepting Case Reports for publication in the journal. From this date authors who submit to Epilepsy & Behavior will be offered a transfer or asked to resubmit their Case Reports to its new sister journal, Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports.