کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
3050141 1185945 2010 6 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Belief systems of epilepsy and attitudes toward people living with epilepsy in a rural community of northern Tanzania
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علم عصب شناسی علوم اعصاب رفتاری
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Belief systems of epilepsy and attitudes toward people living with epilepsy in a rural community of northern Tanzania
چکیده انگلیسی

The social stigma toward people with epilepsy (PWE) varies greatly between cultures. In this study, 167 people (59 PWE, 62 relatives, 46 villagers) in a rural area of northern Tanzania were interviewed at the hospital and in the community regarding their prevailing beliefs about epilepsy and attitudes toward PWE. Seventy-eight of those interviewed (46.7%) thought that epilepsy was due to supernatural causes, but 86 (51.5%) assumed that epilepsy is caused by brain disorders or is inherited. According to the interviewees, epilepsy impacts on the lives of affected people. 65.3% (n=109) thought that PWE should not attend school or go to work and 38.3% (n=64) were of the opinion that PWE had decreased chances of getting married. A minority (11.4%; n=19) thought that epilepsy was a reason not to have children. In summary, supernatural and more scientific ideas about the causes of epilepsy seem to coexist. Nevertheless, there is considerable stigma toward PWE, which needs to be interpreted within the sociocultural context of the study.

Research Highlights
► Social stigma of epilepsy varies between cultures.
► In Tanzania, supernatural and scientific explanations for epilepsy co-exist.
► Nevertheless, there is considerable stigma towards people with epilepsy.
► The stigma leads to major disadvantages in different aspects of life.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Epilepsy & Behavior - Volume 19, Issue 4, December 2010, Pages 596–601
نویسندگان
, , , , , , ,