Prevalence of Perceived Stigma and Associated Factors among People with Epilepsy in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019

Birhane Gebrehiwot; Gebrezgi Gidey; Jemal Seid; Tesfalem Araya; Genet Alem

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Epilepsy is defined as the most common, chronic, noninfectious neurologic disease that attacks around fifty up to sixty-nine million peoples without any age, sex, religion, ethnicity boundaries. Stigma is typically a practiced or predicted social system, characterized by exclusion or rejection of a person or group. Now a day perceived stigma among people with epilepsy become public health problems in the world. Perceived stigma in epileptic patients affects many spheres of life. Objective: To assess the prevalence of perceived stigma and associated factors among peoples with epilepsy at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Mekelle General Hospital, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 people with epilepsy at the neurologic outpatient department of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Mekelle General Hospital from April 15, 2019 – May 30, 2019. A sample was selected by systematic random sampling. Perceived stigma was assessed by using the Kilifi stigma scale of epilepsy. The data were entered and clean by using Epi Info 4.4 version. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 was used for analysis. Result: The prevalence of perceived stigma was found to be 33.8%. Present of seizure related physical trauma [AOR= 2.346, 95% CI (1.343, 4.098)], depression symptoms [AOR= 4.113, 95% CI (2.186, 7.738)], anxiety symptoms [AOR= 2.349, 95% CI (1.229, 4.491)], previous suicidal attempt [AOR= 4.501, 95% CI (1.032, 19.642)] and others were significantly associated with perceived stigma. Conclusion: Perceived stigma among people with epilepsy in Ethiopia becomes a common problem. Keywords: cross-sectional, institutional-based, Kilifi stigma scale, neurologic outpatient department, prevalenceCite this ArticleBirhane Gebrehiwot, D/r Gebrezgi Gidey, Jemal Seid, Tesfalem Araya, Genet Alem. Prevalence of perceived stigma and associated factors among people with epilepsy in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Neuroscience. 2020; 10(2): 24–35p