Impact of self-efficacy of patients' with epilepsy on self-care in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf City

Abstract EN

Background: Epilepsy is a complex and common in neurological defects which effects on the health status and the quality of life, which tend to appear in different forms according to the construction the electrically activation of the brain partially or completely.Objectives: to assess Self-Efficacy of patients with Epilepsy, To assess Self-Care of patients with Epilepsy, to find out the relationship between Self-Efficacy and self-care of patients with Epilepsy and to find out the relationship between Epileptic patients' Self-care and their demographic and clinical data.Methodology: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Design is adopted in the current study to achieve the early stated objectives.

The study started from January 2nd, 2018 until May, 20th, 2018.

A Non-Probability (Purposive Sample) of (50) epilepsy patients, those who Attended Al-Sadder Medical City / Middle Euphrates Neuroscience Center, are included in the study sample, Data collected through using of a well-designed questionnaire consist of four parts: part I: Demographic data that consists of (6) items including age, gender, level of education, occupation, marital status and residency, part II: Clinical data that consists of (8) items including Etiology of epilepsy , Duration of epilepsy, Time of occurrence of seizure, Reported seizure frequency in last 3 months , Do you visit neurologist , Do you have other chronic condition, Do you receive an education about epilepsy, If yes, from where did you get information, Do you smoker , If yes, type of smoking and gives duration and numbers of cigarettes, and part III: consists of patients’ self-care activities comprised of (5) major domains, and part IV consists of self-Efficacy comprised of (31) items.

Results: The findings of the present study indicate that the overall assessment for patients’ self-care are interdependent and overall assessment of the patients' Presented that the self-efficacy domain items is fair.

In addition, that there was a significant association between the (patients' self-care) and their (self-efficacy).Conclusions: The study concludes that there was a direct effect of the patients' self-efficacy on their self-care, when patients' self-efficacy increases, their self-care increases as well and vice versa.Recommendations: The study recommends epileptic patients need education guidance, such as published materials with regard to self-care activities, and an educational program should be designed and applied to increase patients' information about self-care activities for epilepsy to reduce or prevent complications.