The trend in public attitudes in the Czech Republic towards persons with epilepsy.

Full Abstract

This study evaluates trends in public familiarity with and attitudes towards people with epilepsy over a 16-year time-period. A survey exploring the Czech public's attitudes towards and knowledge of epilepsy used a modified version of a questionnaire first used in the USA in 1949, and in the Federal Republic of Germany beginning in 1968. This survey was carried out for the first time in the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) in 1981, and then again in 1984. There was no significant difference between the 1981 and 1984 responses. A slightly modified questionnaire was used in 1997-1998, with evaluable responses gathered from 235 people. In comparison with the 1981 study, people's acquaintance with epilepsy was significantly higher in 1997-1998. In 1997-1998, about 94% of the people surveyed had some information about epilepsy (78% in 1981). Intolerance towards children with epilepsy dropped from 29 to 13%. About 30% of the people surveyed considered epilepsy to be a mental disease (50% in 1981). Employment of people with epilepsy was recommended by 74% (42% in 1981). In contrast with the situation about 16 years earlier, there were fewer important differences from the results of similar surveys taken in other European countries. However, the answers concerning the willingness to help a person having a seizure show that, despite certain progress, the quality of information that the Czech population has is not fully satisfactory.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Novotná, I (I); Rektor, I (I);

Affiliation: First Department of Neurology, Masaryk University, St Anne's Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (Eur J Neurol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 9 (issue 5) : pp 535-40

Dates: Created 2002/09/10; Completed 2002/11/26; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12220387, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Czech Republic
Employment - psychology
Epilepsy - psychology
Female

Health Education - trends
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Psychology - trends
Public Opinion
Questionnaires

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.