Unfavorable Public Attitude Toward People with Epilepsy in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Study

Overview

Journal Epilepsia Open

Date 2023 Jul 3

PMID 37394990

Authors

Mengesha Srahbzu Biresaw

Anggi Irawan

Peter Halasz

Anna Szucs

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to show the pooled prevalence of unfavorable public attitude toward people with epilepsy (UPATPWE) as well as the effect estimates of associated factors in Ethiopia.

Methods: Between December 1 and 31, 2022, we searched for the English version of published research reports on public attitude toward epilepsy in Ethiopia in PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO. The research reports' quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We extracted the relevant information from the searched papers in a Microsoft Excel format and imported it to STATA version 15.0, for analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reports guideline was used. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the Der Simonian and Laird's pooled prevalence of unfavorable public attitude and its associated factors.

Results: Nine out of the accessed 104 research papers meeting the pre-specified criteria were included in this study. The overall pooled prevalence of UPATPWE in Ethiopia is 52.06 (95% CI: 37.54, 66.59), resulting in excommunication, physical punishments, and assaults against people with epilepsy as well as frequent lack of diagnosis and proper treatment. The pooled effect estimates for witnessing a seizure episode were done and it was (AOR = 2.70 [95% CI: 1.13, 6.46]).

Significance: As interventions and new strategies to change attitudes and facilitate a supportive, positive, and socially inclusive environment for PWE may root in education and scientific research outputs, our result hopefully evokes the policy makers' attention for building a well-designed and comprehensive health education and campaign strategy.

Citing Articles

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of caregivers with children diagnosed with epilepsy attending a pediatric outpatient clinic: a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Negussie A, Dehan M, Mekonnen S, Zelleke T BMC Neurol. 2024; 24(1):252.

PMID: 39039504 PMC: 11265119. DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03766-1.

Changes in public attitude toward epilepsy in Hungary since 1994. A multicriteria weighting analysis.

Biresaw M, Vitrai J, Halasz P, Correa V, Szucs A Epilepsia Open. 2024; 9(3):1042-1050.

PMID: 38546973 PMC: 11145619. DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12935.

Unfavorable public attitude toward people with epilepsy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis study.

Biresaw M, Irawan A, Halasz P, Szucs A Epilepsia Open. 2023; 8(3):1054-1063.

PMID: 37394990 PMC: 10472419. DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12785.

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