Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards epilepsy in secondary school students in Tanzania.

Persons with epilepsy are shunned and discriminated against in education, employment, and marriage in Africa, because epilepsy is seen as a highly contagious and shameful disease in the eyes of the public. These observations come from many studies carried out in Africa including recent ones in Nigeria and Liberia. The KAP towards epilepsy among school children in Tanzania has not been studied and this information is essential before a health education programme on epilepsy can be designed for incorporation into the school curriculum. Therefore a study was carried out on 426 secondary school children in Mahenge to find out their KAP towards epilepsy. Forty six pc (193 of 420, students attributed epilepsy to heredity, brain injury, brain infection and witchcraft in that order. About 60 pc (186 of 331) considered epilepsy to be contagious through physical contact, saliva, and breath. Hospital treatment was considered by 62.7 pc (248 of 395) students and 80 pc (346 of 422) considered epilepsy to be controllable. Over 90 pc (385 of 414) of the students believed an epileptic person to be mentally subnormal and considered this a major reason for not sending an epileptic child to school. Their belief in the contagiousness of epilepsy was a major reason for discriminating against an epileptic child or person playing with other children; going to school; sharing the same plate or bed and as a marriage partner and this was significantly more so in the lower than upper classes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)