PhD Scientific Days 2024

Poster Session C - Mental Health Sciences 1.

Changes in public attitude towards epilepsy in Hungary since 1994. A multi-criteria weighting analysis

Előadó neve

Mr. Biresaw, Mengesha

Neptun code

N4AZP3

Előadó munkahelye

institute of behavioral sciences

Előadó telefonszáma

+36704053398

Előadó e-mail címe

mengusew@gmail.com

Az előadás címe

Changes in public attitude towards epilepsy in Hungary since 1994. A multi-criteria weighting analysis

Szerző(k) neve és munkahelye

Mengesha Biresaw¹, József Vitrai², Péter Halász³, Vivian Correa⁴, Anna Szűcs⁵

1: Institute of Behavioral Sciences
2: Széchenyi István University, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Department of Preventive Health Sciences, Győr, Hungary
3: Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
4: Doctoral School of Mental Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
5: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Bemutatás módja

Poszter

Szekció

Poster Session C - Mental Health Sciences 1.

Language of the presentation

English

Preferred session

Mental Health Sciences

Összefoglaló szövege

Introduction: epilepsy is poorly understood by the community; resulting in stigmatization of people with epilepsy. Epilepsy puts medical and psychosocial burden on patients, families, and the community at large as well.
Aims: To assess the adult Hungarian population’s knowledge about and attitude towards epilepsy and compare the present findings with previous ones in 1994 and 2000.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey of the Hungarian adult population from 28th February to 8th March 2023. A non-probability quota sampling with a random walk method was used. We applied the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) method and used a multi-criteria weighting procedure to correct for bias along the main socio-demographic variables. To detect changes over time, we used chi-square tests, and to analyze the effect of sociodemographic characteristics, we applied multivariate logistic regression.
Results: One thousand participants (53.1% women, mean age 48.1 ±16.75 years) representing Hungary’s population were interviewed, yielding a response rate of 80.3%. 26.3% knew someone with epilepsy (55.9% in 1994 and 51.9% in 2000), and 30.8% saw an epileptic seizure (58% in 1994 and 55.3% in 2000). Compared to the young, fewer adults and elderly people knew someone with epilepsy or had seen a seizure. Alike in 1994 and 2000, 16.6% reported objection to their children’s interaction with people with epilepsy; however, in the present study, significantly fewer people opposed their children marrying or working together with epileptic people, indicating a change in attitude (P<0.0001). Rural residents had less objection to their children’s interaction with people with epilepsy (P<0.05). People with secondary education objected significantly more often than those with primary education to their children’s interaction (P=0.037) or marriage to people with epilepsy (P=0.043), or their having equal employment (P=0.008). Higher education people were as ‘permissive’ as those with primary education.
Conclusion: Certain parameters of familiarity and attitude-markers of the Hungarian population towards epilepsy have improved. These tendencies are promising, but work is still needed; our results will hopefully evoke educational programs and campaigns against negative attitudes.
Keywords: Attitude, knowledge, stigma, epilepsy, Hungary
Funding: Semmelweis University

University

Semmelweis University

Supervisor

Dr. Anna Szűcs

Publication of my abstract

I give consent to the publication of my abstract on the website of the congress.

Kind

Szabad

Status

elfogadva

Accepted presentation method

poszter

Előadás fájl jóváhagyás

nem rendelkezett róla

Előadó

7998

Start

15:15

End

15:18