Socio-economic and Health situation of Epileptics and Attitude of the surrounding community towards epilepsy: A study in Mizan-Teferi town of Bench Maji zone, SNNP’ Region
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Date
2017-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder affecting people across the globe.
Lack of knowledge and negative attitudes among non-epileptic people towards epilepsy causes
stigmatization and discrimination of people diagnosed with epilepsy on a daily basis. In such
away, the stigma and discrimination facing epileptics is affecting the victims more than the
diseases itself. It is therefore, necessary to investigate this issue and disclose it. Thus, this study
was conducted with the objective of examining the socio-economic and health situations of
epileptics and the attitude of the surrounding non-epileptic community towards epileptics in
Mizan-Teferi town of Benchimaji zone, SNNP’s region, Ethiopia. Both quantitative and
qualitative research approaches were employed in a triangulation form to address the objectives
of this study. Two out of five kebeles in Mizan-Teferi town were purposefully selected. 353
households were selected from the two sampled kebeles for household survey using a Raosoft
online sample size calculator randomly. In addition, key informant interview was conducted to
investigate the attitude of the non-epileptic people towards epileptics in the study area. On the
other hand, in-depth interview, case study and key informant interview were conducted to
examine the socio-economic and health situations of epileptics in Mizan-Teferi town. The
findings indicate that from demographic and socio-economic factors,sex, age, educational status,
marital status, ethnic background and income found significantly affecting attitude towards
epilepsy. 58.9% of the respondents thought epilepsy to be caused by evil spirit, 85.5% and 49%
of the respondents thought epilepsy to be a transmittable and trans-generational disease
respectively. Although 63.7% of the respondents reported affirmed to the idea epileptics can
compete and be employed like non-epileptic counterparts, 66.3% of them were reluctant to hire
an epileptic person to their business regardless of his/her qualification for the position. Besides,
92.1% of the respondents argued not to marry with somebody epileptic. Generally, 54.4% of the
head of households reported to have unfavorable attitude towards epileptics. On the other hand,
the socio-economic and health situations of epileptics are the direct reflection and result of the
above negative attitude of the surrounding non-epileptic community in the study area. Finally,
some of the problems facing epileptics in Mizan-Teferi town were lack of basic needs like food,
shelter and clothes, lack of access to social services like education and health care services, lack
of burial sites and gender based violence were among the most discussed problems by epileptics
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Sociology