General public knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards persons with epilepsy in South Ethiopia: A comparative community-based cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Despite being a common disorder, epilepsy is misunderstood by the general public, leading to fear, secrecy, stigmatization, and the risk of social discrimination. Objective This study aimed to compare knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards persons with epilepsy among rural and urban dwellers in South Ethiopia. Methods A comparative cross-sectional community - based study was conducted among 1316 (656 from rural and 660 from urban) adult respondents in South Ethiopia. Results The most cited causes of epilepsy were brain disease (40.6%) by urban respondents and evil spirits (34.6%) by rural respondents. More urban (21.7%) than rural (16.5%) respondents believed that epilepsy is contagious (P = 0.016). About 39% of rural compared with 7% of urban respondents would not allow their children to associate with a person with epilepsy (P < 0.001), and 56.7% of rural compared with 24.8% of urban respondents objected to themselves or their children marrying someone with epilepsy (P < 0.001). The majority of the respondents in both groups (75.5% from urban and 56.4% from rural) would recommend a medical doctor for the treatment of epilepsy, but herbal medicine and spiritual treatments such as prayers and Holy water were still commonly practiced. Conclusion This study demonstrated a significant difference in epilepsy KAP between urban and rural dwellers, with the former having more positive attitudes. A comprehensive epilepsy educational campaign is necessary to advance understanding among the general population, thereby improving patient care.