ORIGINAL: Has Treatment Seeking Behaviour Changed in People Living with Epilepsy? Experience of People Living with Epilepsy Attending Adult Neurology Clinics in Enugu
West Afr J Med April 2024; 41(4):397-405 PMID: 39002170
Keywords:
Epilepsy, Health seeking behaviour, Orthodox medicine, Prayer houses, Traditional healers, southeast NigeriaAbstract
Background: Over the years efforts has been made through public health education to change the knowledge, attitude and practice of epilepsy and seizures among the populace in Nigeria. One surrogate method of reviewing the impact of these educational interventions includes changes in treatment-seeking behavior of People Living With Epilepsy and the reasons for their choices of treatment.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected from People Living With Epilepsy attending the medical outpatient clinics in two tertiary hospitals in Enugu, Enugu State southeast Nigeria.
Results: A total 276 people living with epilepsy were recruited with a mean age of 30.1 years and a median age of 25 years. After the onset of epilepsy, 76(27.5%) and 70(25.4%) visited general hospitals and teaching hospitals respectively, while prayer houses and traditional healing centers were first visited by 54(19.6%) and 40(14.5%) respectively. As a second choice of care 9(3.3%) and 13(4.7%) visited prayer houses and traditional healing centers. Only 42(15.2%) selected their treatment center because they were confident of getting a cure however, this was highest for those that visited traditional healing centers 11(27.5%). The age of onset of epilepsy positively correlated with selecting orthodox treatment at the choice of care, while occupational status negatively correlated with selecting orthodox care at the same period.
Conclusions: Health care seeking behaviors among PLWE in Southeast Nigeria might have changed over the years as more people living with epilepsy were more likely to select orthodox treatment compared to non-orthodox means of treatment.
