Abstract

The Misconceptions about Epilepsy Disease within Health Sector Workers in the City of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. One of the main issue and concern about epilepsy in Saudi Arabia is the lack of information about the disease, or the medical staff's poor knowledge due to insufficient experience and lack of awareness. The study's main objective is to identify the misconceptions circulated within health sector workers in the city of Tabuk. The researcher seeks to apply the specific study sample for several health centers and hospitals in Tabuk. Quantitative research had been sitting for 368 health/ medical workers by using Google Forms. 65.7% of those who have relatives suffer from epilepsy declare that the attending physician did not clearly explain the nature of the disease, including the causes, treatment and first aid. And 63.4% of health care workers had no experience about epilepsy, and 62.7% of them did not participate in courses or conferences before. Also 40.7% of them had no prior experience of febrile seizures. 76.7% of the participants believe that they cannot relate to a person with epilepsy. This research proved that a high percentage of the Saudi society in Tabuk have misconceptions about epilepsy. The main reason for the nullification of treatment’s effect is the interaction of the surrounding environment towards the conflict disease through misconceptions in advance, which limit the effectiveness of positive progression of the disease with treatment and appropriate medical care

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