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. 2020 Mar;20(1):376-382.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v20i1.43.

Perceived stigma and school attendance among children and adolescents with epilepsy in South Western Uganda

Joseph Kirabira  1 , Ben Jimmy Forry  1 , Robyn Fallen  2 , Bernard Sserwanga  1 , Godfrey Zari Rukundo  1
Affiliations

Perceived stigma and school attendance among children and adolescents with epilepsy in South Western Uganda

Joseph Kirabira et al. Afr Health Sci. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that has a high worldwide prevalence with eighty percent of the global burden being in low and middle-income countries. There is a high level of perceived stigma among children and adolescents with epilepsy, which has severe debilitating effects and affects school attendance.

Objective: To assess the effect of perceived stigma on school attendance patterns among children and adolescents with epilepsy.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study among 191 children and adolescents aged from 6-18 years with epilepsy at one large semi-urban hospital and a small rural health center in SouthWestern Uganda. Epilepsy-related perceived stigma was measured using the adapted Kilifi Stigma Scale of Epilepsy and school attendance patterns were assessed using a piloted investigator-designed questionnaire.

Results: Children with high-perceived stigma were more likely to have never attended school (13.8%) or started school late (average age 5.7 years) compared to those with low-perceived stigma (average age 4.9 years). Additionally, those with high epilepsy-related perceived stigma repeated classes 2.5 times more compared to those with low-perceived stigma.

Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest correlation between high-perceived stigma and disrupted school attendance patterns among children and adolescents with epilepsy, hence the need to address this social challenge.

Keywords: Epilepsy; Uganda; adolescents; children; perceived stigma; school attendance.

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