Background: Strengthening maternal awareness is essential to optimize care, reduce stigma, and promote better health outcomes in pediatric epilepsy. The aim of this study was to assess mothers’ awareness regarding care of their epileptic children. Research design: Descriptive research design was utilized to conduct this study. Setting: This study was conducted in the Neurology Outpatient Clinic affiliated to Benha University Hospital, Egypt. Sample: Simple random sample of mothers had children with epilepsy included 218 mothers. Tools: Two tools were used I): An interviewing questionnaire which consisted of three parts. Part I: A): Socio-demographic characteristics of the studied mothers. B): Personal characteristics of the studied children with epilepsy. C): Medical history of the studied children. Part II: Mothers' knowledge regarding epilepsy. Part III: Mothers' reported practices regarding care of their children with epilepsy. II): Mothers' attitude scale regarding epilepsy. Results: 66% of the studied mothers had poor total level of knowledge regarding epilepsy, 74.8% of them had unsatisfactory total reported practices in caring for their children with epilepsy, and 59.6% of them had negative total attitudes regarding epilepsy. Conclusion: There were statistically significant positive correlation between studied mothers’ total knowledge, total reported practices and total attitudes regarding epilepsy (P=< 0.01). Recommendations: Health educational program for mothers should be conducted in different grades with emphasis primary health care services especially for epileptic children care to improve the mothers’ knowledge and attitudes. |
