Knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning epilepsy among nurses and midwives working in primary health care settings in Ouagadougou of Burkina Faso

Background In developing countries, there is a lack of epilepsy knowledge among health workers. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice concerning epilepsy among nurses and midwives working in primary health care settings in Ouagadougou. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study in the health districts of Ouagadougou from August 1st to September 15th, 2017. All nurses and midwives working in three health districts were included in this study. Results A total of 213 participants with a mean age of 39.5 years were included in the survey; 79.81% of them had a general certification in secondary education and 62% had a professional experience of more than 10 years. About 99% of the participants had not received training on epilepsy-related care during the last six months. In addition, 74.5% of the participants had a good knowledge on epilepsy and 65% had a good practice toward epilepsy. The level of knowledge was associated with the workplace, years of training, and the professional experience. The level of knowledge about epilepsy was also associated with the level of education, while there was a significant link between professional status and nurses' level of practice in the management of seizures. Conclusions Efforts must be made to provide continuing education for nurses in order to improve their knowledge on epilepsy.