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. 2025 Apr 15:39:100566.
doi: 10.1016/j.ensci.2025.100566. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Neurophobia among students and interns at the Abidjan Faculty of Medicine (Côte d'Ivoire)

Kadjo Claude Valery Cedric Aka  1 , Essoin-de Souza Tamia Nancy  2 , Amon-Tanoh Muriel  1 , Agbo-Panzo Cedric  1 , Offoumou Fiacre Delors  1 , Aka Arlette Desirée  1 , Baugnan Davide  1 , Toa Bi Axel  1 , Yapo-Ehounoud Constance  1 , Tanoh Christian  1 , Aka-Diarra Evelyne  1 , Assi Berthe  1
Affiliations

Neurophobia among students and interns at the Abidjan Faculty of Medicine (Côte d'Ivoire)

Kadjo Claude Valery Cedric Aka et al. eNeurologicalSci. .

Abstract

Introduction: As defined by Jozefowicz in 1994, neurophobia is the fear of neuroscience and clinical neurology. We carried out this study, the first on neurophobia in the Ivory Coast, in order to assess its prevalence among medical students and interns in the Ivorian environment, to identify the factors involved and to propose solutions.

Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional study carried out during the 2022-2023 academic year at the Abidjan UFR of Medical Sciences. The study population consisted of all students in years 3ème to 6ème and hospital interns. The Schon questionnaire, transcribed using google form software, was sent to students using the "wathsapp" social network.

Result: We obtained 284 responses, i.e. 23 % of all respondents (n = 1228). The sex ratio was 1.65 in favour of men. The subjects considered that they had a level of competence in neurology higher than 6 of the nine specialities selected. These were nephrology, cardiology, rheumatology, endocrinology, psychiatry and geriatrics. Neurology was considered more difficult than cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry and geriatrics. Subjects' level of knowledge in neurology was rated higher than in nephrology, cardiology, rheumatology, endocrinology, psychiatry and geriatrics. The subjects' level of interest in neurology was higher than in the other specialities. 27.46 % of subjects surveyed were neurophobic.

Conclusion: The impact of neurophobia remains harmful to public health, as it is a factor in the sub-optimal management of patients with neurological disorders.

Keywords: Abidjan; Medical students; Neurophobia.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Histogram breaking down the averages for the various specialities assessed by competence level.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Histogram distributing the averages of the different specialties evaluated according to the level of difficulty.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Histogram distributing the averages of the different specialties evaluated according to the level of knowledge.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Histogram showing the averages of the different specialties evaluated according to the level of interest.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Histogram representing in proportion the reasons given for the difficulty of neurology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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