Impact of metacognition on attitudes toward epilepsy in medical students

Abstract

Purpose: This study evaluated medical students' knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy and the influence of metacognition thereon.

Method: Valid questionnaires were administered to medical students including undergraduate, professional postgraduate, and standardized residency training students (N = 503). The questionnaire had 4 parts: demographic information, knowledge of epilepsy, attitudes toward epilepsy, and metacognitive assessment. The Chinese Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy scale and 30-Item Metacognition Questionnaire were used to assess attitudes and metacognition, respectively.

Results: Almost all participants had heard of epilepsy; 38.8% had witnessed a seizure and 25% were acquainted with a person with epilepsy. The proportion of correct answers to epilepsy-related knowledge ranged from 40.6% (Putting an object into the mouth of a person experiencing an epileptic seizure) to 97% (Convulsion is a symptom of epilepsy). However, knowledge of epilepsy was not able to affect attitudes toward epilepsy. Age, years of clinical experience, having witnessed a seizure, positive belief of worry, and need to control thinking were correlated with the different domains of attitude toward epilepsy. When participants were divided into 2 groups-i.e., those with high and low knowledge of epilepsy, participants in the former group who had a positive belief of worry or had not witnessed any seizures were more likely to have negative attitudes toward epilepsy.

Conclusion: Medical students showed good awareness of the etiology and symptoms of epilepsy. Overall, attitudes toward epilepsy were negative. A positive belief of worry was associated with a more negative attitude toward epilepsy among respondents with greater knowledge of epilepsy.

Keywords: Attitude; Epilepsy; Knowledge; Medical student; Metacognition.