People with epilepsy face stigma which arguably causes more suffering than the disease itself. The purpose of this study is to compare the knowledge and attitudes of nursing with nonnursing Jordanian university students toward epilepsy. A cross-sectional comparative, quantitative study was conducted. A newly structured questionnaire was developed to collect related data. The results revealed that there were 145(30.5%) nursing students and 331 (69.5%) nonnursing students with mean age of the participants was 22.9 years (SD = 4.7) and 60% of them were men. Although the majority of the Jordanian university students were aware of epilepsy, their knowledge varied according to their major subject of study. Nursing students possessed a good knowledge of, and more positive attitudes toward, epilepsy compared with other nonnursing students. Therefore, universities are required to improve the knowledge of their students about epilepsy by integrating education about health and first aid course into their curriculum.
FisherRSAcevedoCArzimanoglouAet al.ILAE Official Report: A practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia2014; 55: 475–482.
2.
World Health Organization. Epilepsy, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2011.
3.
FisherRSBoasWvEBlumeWet al.Epileptic seizures and epilepsy: definitions proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). Epilepsia2005; 46: 470–472.
4.
ThurmanDJBeghiEBegleyCEet al.Standards for epidemiologic studies and surveillance of epilepsy. Epilepsia2011; 52: 2–26.
5.
World Health Organization. The global burden of disease: 2004 update, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation, 2004.
6.
World Health Organization. Epilepsy in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: bridging the gap, Cairo, Egypt: World Health Organization, 2010.
7.
SanderJW. The epidemiology of epilepsy revisited. Curr Opin Neurol2003; 162: 165–170.
8.
KobauRCuiWKadimaNet al.Tracking psychosocial health in adults with epilepsy—Estimates from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Epilepsy Behav2014; 41: 66–73.
9.
Control CfD, Prevention. Comorbidity in adults with epilepsy—United States, 2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep2013; 62: 849.
10.
World Health Organization. Atlas: epilepsy care in the world, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2005.
11.
de BoerHM. Epilepsy stigma: Moving from a global problem to global solutions. Seizure2010; 19: 630–636.
12.
TedrusGMASFonsecaLCVieiraALdC. Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment. Arq Neuropsiquiatr2007; 65: 1181–1185.
13.
HijazeenJKAbu-HelalahMAAlshraidehHAet al.Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about epilepsy and their predictors among university students in Jordan. Epilepsy Behav2014; 41: 238–243.
14.
Al-EryaniBSaiedKGAlddinRSet al.Knowledge of, attitudes toward, and perceptions of epilepsy among university students in Yemen. Epilepsy Behav2015; 52: 102–107.
15.
Al-RashedHAl-YahyaDAl-KandariAet al.Knowledge of, perceptions of, and attitudes toward epilepsy among university students in Kuwait. Epilepsy Behav2009; 14: 367–371.
16.
PandaSBPrabhuKRaoSet al.Evaluation of knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy among the health science students of Manipal University. Epilepsy Behav2011; 20: 447–449.
17.
DemirciSDönmezCMGündoğarDet al.Public awareness of, attitudes toward, and understanding of epilepsy in Isparta, Turkey. Epilepsy Behav2007; 11: 427–433.
18.
MustaphaAOduOAkandeO. Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of epilepsy among secondary school teachers in Osogbo South-West Nigeria: a community based study. Niger J Clin Pract2013; 16: 12–18.
19.
TedrusGFonsecaLVieiraA. Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment. Arq Neuropsiquiatr2007; 65: 1181–1185.
20.
HassonaYMMahmoudAAA-ARyalatSMet al.Dental students’ knowledge and attitudes toward patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav2014; 36: 2–5.
21.
AlkhamraHTannousAHadidiMet al.Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy among school teachers and counselors in Jordan. Epilepsy Behav2012; 24: 430–434.
22.
DaoudAAl-SafiSOtoomSet al.Public knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy in Jordan. Seizure2007; 16: 521–526.
23.
LevinKA. Study design III: Cross-sectional studies. Evid Based Dent2006; 7: 24–25.
24.
GeorgeDMalleryM. Using SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.
25.
NjamnshiAAngwaforSBaumannFet al.Knowledge, attitudes, and practice of Cameroonian medical students and graduating physicians with respect to epilepsy. Epilepsia2009; 50: 1296–1299.
26.
Ab RahmanAF. Awareness and knowledge of epilepsy among students in a Malaysian university. Seizure2005; 14: 593–596.
27.
NjamnshiAAngwaforSJallonPet al.Secondary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward epilepsy in the Batibo Health District—Cameroon. Epilepsia2009; 50: 1262–1265.
28.
YuAYTianSWVogelDet al.Can learning be virtually boosted? An investigation of online social networking impacts. Comput Educ2010; 55: 1494–1503.
29.
NjamnshiAKTabahENBissekACet al.Knowledge, attitudes and practices with respect to epilepsy among student nurses and laboratory assistants in the South West Region of Cameroon. Epilepsy Behav2010; 17: 381–388.
30.
NeniSWLatifAZAWongSYet al.Awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy among rural populations in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia: a preliminary exploration. Seizure2010; 19: 280–290.
31.
BekiroğluNÖzkanRGürsesCet al.A study on awareness and attitude of teachers on epilepsy in Istanbul. Seizure2004; 13: 517–522.
32.
NdoyeNSowADiopAet al.Prevalence of epilepsy its treatment gap and knowledge, attitude and practice of its population in sub-urban Senegal an ILAE/IBE/WHO study. Seizure2005; 14: 106–111.
33.
SeneviratneURajapaksePPathiranaRet al.Knowledge, attitude, and practice of epilepsy in rural Sri Lanka. Seizure2002; 11: 40–43.
34.
TanCLimS. Epilepsy in south east Asia. Neurol J Southeast Asia1997; 2: 11–15.
35.
FernandesPNoronhaASanderJet al.Training the trainers and disseminating information: a strategy to educate health professionals on epilepsy. Arq Neuropsiquiatr2007; 65: 14–22.
36.
TedrusGMAFonsecaLCVieiraALdC. Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment. Arq Neuropsiquiatr2007; 65: 1181–1185.
37.
BrabcovaDLovasovaVKohoutJet al.Improving the knowledge of epilepsy and reducing epilepsy-related stigma among children using educational video and educational drama—A comparison of the effectiveness of both interventions. Seizure2013; 22: 179–184.
38.
Institution of Medicine. Epilepsy across the spectrum: promoting health and understanding, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2012.
39.
DoshiDReddyBSKulkarniSet al.Dentists’ knowledge, attitudes and practices toward patients with epilepsy in Hyderabad city, India. Epilepsy Behav2012; 23: 447–450.
40.
AragonCHessTBurneoJ. Knowledge and attitudes about epilepsy: a survey of dentists in London, Ontario. J Can Dent Assoc2009; 75: 450.
41.
ZielińskaAKłosETalarskaD. Youth’s knowledge and attitude to epilepsy. Rocz Akad Med Bialymst2005; 50: 99–101.
42.
NjamnshiAKAngwaforSABaumannFet al.Knowledge, attitudes, and practice of Cameroonian medical students and graduating physicians with respect to epilepsy. Epilepsia2009; 50: 1296–1299.
43.
SpattJBauerGBaumgartnerCet al.Predictors for negative attitudes toward subjects with epilepsy: a representative survey in the general public in Austria. Epilepsia2005; 46: 736–742.
44.
SaengsuwanJBoonyaleepanSSrijakkotJet al.Factors associated with knowledge and attitudes in persons with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav2012; 24: 23–29.
