Parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards children with epilepsy in Belgrade (Serbia)

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents whose children were diagnosed with epilepsy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 213 consecutive parents who accompanied their children, diagnosed with epilepsy, at regular checkups in the outpatient department of the Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic in Belgrade. Data were obtained through a questionnaire before completion of the child's neurological checkup, while clinical parameters of children with epilepsy were taken from medical records.

Results: Almost all respondents knew that epilepsy is not an infectious disease (99.5%), while the least proportion of parents (31.9%) knew that epilepsy is not, for the most part, hereditary. Parents felt that their family and friends should know that their child is suffering from epilepsy (average score: 4.3 out of 5). Also, parents felt the most confident in taking care of their child during seizures (4.7 out of 5), while they felt the least confident in letting their child go on school trips for several days (3.4 out of 5). Parental longer schooling (i.e., higher education level) was an independent predictor of higher epilepsy knowledge. Taking less number of medications was an independent predictor of more supportive parental behavior towards children with epilepsy.

Conclusion: Some epilepsy-related issues still require improvement in parental knowledge. Ensuring education and support at community and school levels for both parents and children with epilepsy should be the principal goal of health-care service.