Health Education and Epilepsy Stigma Reduction Among Community Members in Anambra State

Epilepsy-related stigma is a persistent barrier to care-seeking and social inclusion for persons with epilepsy in Nigeria, often rooted in cultural misconceptions and inadequate community health literacy. This study examined the effect of health education on epilepsy stigma reduction among community members in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was adopted, involving 170 adult community members from Awka South, Ogbaru, and Orumba North local government areas. Participants in the experimental group received a six-week community health education programme on epilepsy causes, management, and social inclusion, while the control group received no intervention. The Epilepsy Stigma Scale and a validated knowledge questionnaire were used as pre-test and post-test instruments. Results showed significant reductions in stigma scores and marked improvement in knowledge of epilepsy as a neurological, non-contagious condition among experimental group participants (p less than 0.01). Community health workers delivering the programme were highly rated for their communication effectiveness. The study recommended institutionalising community-based epilepsy education programmes across Anambra State and training primary healthcare workers in epilepsy-sensitive health communication. Keywords: epilepsy, stigma reduction, health education, community members, Anambra State