Makkah female teachers' knowledge of seizure first aid

Epilepsy is a common disorder in Saudi Arabia, with a prevalence of 6.54/1000 people. Most patients with epilepsy in the country are younger than 19 years of age, and thus, many occurrences of epileptic seizures can occur in schools. As such, teachers are often faced with the challenge of responding to the attack and providing first aid and post-event care to the child with epilepsy.

The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge school teachers in the Makkah region possess about seizure first aid.

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically among school teachers in the Makkah region, with the aim to assess basic demographic data about the teachers as well as their knowledge about epilepsy, seizure first aid, and postseizure care.

Out of the teachers who responded to the questionnaire (n = 426), 89% were female teachers; 85.7% recognized epilepsy as a neurological disease. The majority (55%) stated that they would open a patient's mouth and insert an object during a seizure. Those with less teaching experience (1-10 years) correctly identified how to ensure safety in comparison with the more experienced teachers (≫10 years) (P value ≪ 0.001), and 45% of the overall participants recognized when to transfer patients to a medical facility. Both teachers with postgraduate degrees and the more experienced teachers recognized when to transfer students to hospital.

Female school teachers in the Makkah region significantly lack adequate training and knowledge of seizure first aid. A health education policy targeting teachers may improve this.