Publication

Abstract : ObjectivesTo evaluate the parental knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding the antiepileptic medication therapy in childhood.MethodsThis study was carried out over a period of 10 months in the division of Pediatric Neurology of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. The cohort of patients was selected randomly meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Parents' KAP regarding epilepsy and antiepileptic drug therapy was assessed using a questionnaire prepared by the authors and patient adherence towards antiepileptic drug therapy by using Pediatric Epilepsy Self-Management Questionnaire (PEMSQ).ResultsA total of 123 patients were selected and enrolled in the study. Seventy eight percent of the respondents knew that epilepsy is a brain disorder, while only 6% of them were aware about all the treatment options. The scoring in the domain of “Disease and Treatment Knowledge Expectations of parents” was found to be significantly low (69.07%) when compared to other domains in the PEMSQ. Although socioeconomic status did not correlate with knowledge score of the parents (p = 0.216), it was significantly related to adherence (p = 0.042).