Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kaddumukasa, M; Smith, PJ; Kaddumukasa, MN; Kajumba, M; Almojuela, A; Bobholz, S; Chakraborty, P; Sinha, DD; Nakasujja, N; Kakooza-Mwesige, A ...
Published in: Epilepsy Behav
January 2021

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to characterize and compare the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about epilepsy across community and patient cohorts in Uganda. METHODS: This was a descriptive study utilizing two samples: a randomly selected, national survey community sample and a hospital-based patient sample of people with epilepsy (PWE) and their caregivers attending clinic settings in Kampala and Mbarara, Uganda for epilepsy care. Both samples were surveyed about their beliefs about epilepsy, its treatment, and people who have the illness. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine group differences and variables associated with specific beliefs. RESULTS: Among the 15,818 community survey participants who participated in this study, 435 study participants reported symptoms suggestive of recurrent seizures, and all 626 subjects in the hospital-based sample had confirmed epilepsy. Results revealed significant differences across groups in their endorsement of epilepsy as a contagion; 37% of people in the community unaffected by epilepsy, and 39% of people with suspected epilepsy who did not seek care believed that epilepsy was contagious by touch, in contrast to 8% of PWE or their caregivers attending regular hospital-based care. Higher educational attainment and income, and seeking regular hospital-based medical care were associated with less endorsement of epilepsy as a contagion, while age, education, income, area of residence, and presence of seizure symptoms, were significant predictors of support or belief in the basic rights of PWE. Study participants within the community who screened negative for seizures placed the most restrictions on rights for PWE. To varying degrees, the samples all endorsed the effectiveness of allopathic, traditional, and religious providers, and the use of pharmaceutical drugs, traditional rituals and herbs, and prayer. CONCLUSIONS: People with epilepsy who are attending biomedical care for routine epilepsy care think differently about epilepsy, its treatment, and the rights of those with the disease than the general population. Within the community setting, more erroneous beliefs and negative attitudes about epilepsy and PWE persist, and they not only contribute to stigma but also interfere with the patients' health-seeking behavior. Further confounding the care of PWE, the pluralistic healthcare system in Uganda is evident in endorsements spanning biomedical, traditional, and religious treatment methods. Focused awareness campaigns utilizing local epilepsy societies are needed to promote epilepsy health literacy, to favorably impact acceptance and opportunities for PWE in Uganda, and to facilitate efficient uptake of biomedical care. This article is part of the Special Issue "The Intersection of Culture, Resources, and Disease: Epilepsy Care in Uganda".

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Epilepsy Behav

DOI

EISSN

1525-5069

Publication Date

January 2021

Volume

114

Issue

Pt B

Start / End Page

107300

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Uganda
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Social Stigma
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Humans
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Epilepsy
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 3209 Neurosciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Kaddumukasa, M., Smith, P. J., Kaddumukasa, M. N., Kajumba, M., Almojuela, A., Bobholz, S., … Koltai, D. C. (2021). Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda. Epilepsy Behav, 114(Pt B), 107300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107300
Kaddumukasa, Mark, Patrick J. Smith, Martin N. Kaddumukasa, Mayanja Kajumba, Alysa Almojuela, Samuel Bobholz, Payal Chakraborty, et al. “Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda.Epilepsy Behav 114, no. Pt B (January 2021): 107300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107300.
Kaddumukasa M, Smith PJ, Kaddumukasa MN, Kajumba M, Almojuela A, Bobholz S, et al. Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda. Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Jan;114(Pt B):107300.
Kaddumukasa, Mark, et al. “Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda.Epilepsy Behav, vol. 114, no. Pt B, Jan. 2021, p. 107300. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107300.
Kaddumukasa M, Smith PJ, Kaddumukasa MN, Kajumba M, Almojuela A, Bobholz S, Chakraborty P, Sinha DD, Nakasujja N, Kakooza-Mwesige A, Gualtieri A, Onuoha E, Nakku J, Sanchez N, Muhumuza C, Fuller AT, Haglund MM, Koltai DC. Epilepsy beliefs and misconceptions among patient and community samples in Uganda. Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Jan;114(Pt B):107300.
Journal cover image

Published In

Epilepsy Behav

DOI

EISSN

1525-5069

Publication Date

January 2021

Volume

114

Issue

Pt B

Start / End Page

107300

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Uganda
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Social Stigma
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Humans
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Epilepsy
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 3209 Neurosciences