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Influence of Epilepsy Education on Epilepsy First-Aid Knowledge among Secondary School Teachers in Nigeria

Abstract

Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures and can occur among individuals of different ages, including school-aged children and adolescents. Seizures may occur unexpectedly in school settings, making teachers important first responders who may need to provide appropriate first aid and ensure the safety of affected students until medical assistance is available. Inadequate understanding of epilepsy and inappropriate responses to seizures may result in unnecessary injury, delayed assistance, stigma, and potentially harmful practices. Epilepsy education provides secondary school teachers with knowledge about epilepsy, seizure recognition, common seizure presentations, seizure triggers, appropriate seizure first-aid measures, safety precautions, situations requiring emergency medical assistance, and appropriate post-seizure support. Epilepsy first-aid knowledge refers to teachers' understanding of the appropriate steps to take before, during, and after a seizure, including protecting the student from injury, maintaining a safe environment, monitoring the duration of the seizure, avoiding harmful practices, recognizing emergency situations, and arranging appropriate medical assistance when necessary. In Nigeria, limited epilepsy education, misconceptions about epilepsy, inadequate teacher training, cultural beliefs, stigma, and limited access to structured school-health programmes may affect teachers' knowledge and preparedness to respond appropriately to seizures. Effective epilepsy education may improve teachers' understanding of epilepsy, reduce misconceptions, and strengthen their knowledge of appropriate seizure first aid. Against this background, this study investigates the influence of epilepsy education on epilepsy first-aid knowledge among secondary school teachers in Nigeria. The study is anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. The Health Belief Model explains health-related responses through perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action, providing a basis for understanding teachers' responses to epilepsy and seizure emergencies. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural capabilities, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping teachers' responses to health emergencies. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for examining how structured epilepsy education may improve teachers' knowledge and preparedness to provide appropriate first aid. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how epilepsy education may influence epilepsy first-aid knowledge among secondary school teachers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from secondary school teachers in selected public and private secondary schools in Nigeria using a structured self-administered questionnaire, epilepsy knowledge assessment, and epilepsy first-aid knowledge assessment tool incorporating realistic seizure scenarios. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, local government areas, schools, and eligible teachers. Where feasible, selected schools or teacher groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Teachers in the intervention group will receive structured epilepsy education covering the nature of epilepsy, seizure recognition, common seizure presentations, seizure triggers, appropriate seizure first-aid procedures, safety precautions, harmful practices to avoid, emergency warning signs, appropriate medical referral, and post-seizure support. Epilepsy first-aid knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as recognition of seizures, knowledge of appropriate immediate first aid, protection of the affected student from injury, appropriate positioning and monitoring, knowledge of actions that should be avoided, recognition of prolonged or emergency seizures, appropriate activation of emergency assistance, and post-seizure support. Clinical or classroom-based seizure scenarios will be incorporated where feasible to assess teachers' ability to apply first-aid knowledge to realistic situations. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize teachers' sociodemographic and professional characteristics, previous health education, epilepsy knowledge, exposure to epilepsy education, and first-aid knowledge scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the influence of epilepsy education on epilepsy first-aid knowledge. Where appropriate, pre-intervention and post-intervention knowledge scores will be compared. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instruments, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that epilepsy education has a significant positive influence on epilepsy first-aid knowledge among secondary school teachers in Nigeria. Teachers exposed to structured epilepsy education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of seizure recognition, appropriate first-aid procedures, safety measures, emergency warning signs, and post-seizure support. Education may improve teachers' understanding of what should and should not be done during a seizure and reduce misconceptions and potentially harmful responses. It may also improve teachers' confidence in responding appropriately to students experiencing seizures and in seeking medical assistance when necessary. Scenario-based and practical education is expected to strengthen knowledge retention by allowing teachers to apply first-aid principles to realistic seizure situations. However, education alone may not guarantee effective first-aid responses because teachers may continue to face challenges such as inadequate school-health resources, limited access to first-aid equipment, lack of trained school health personnel, cultural misconceptions, stigma, and weak referral systems. Consequently, epilepsy education is expected to be most effective when supported by regular refresher training, school health policies, accessible first-aid resources, emergency response procedures, collaboration with healthcare professionals, and appropriate referral arrangements. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on epilepsy, seizure first aid, school health, teacher education, emergency preparedness, neurological health, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the influence of epilepsy education on epilepsy first-aid knowledge among secondary school teachers. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, state ministries of health and education, school management authorities, secondary schools, healthcare professionals, school-health programmes, epilepsy advocacy organizations, professional associations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving seizure preparedness in schools. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating epilepsy education into teacher training and continuing professional development, strengthening school-health programmes, developing standardized seizure first-aid guidelines, improving access to first-aid resources, reducing epilepsy-related misconceptions and stigma, establishing effective emergency response procedures, and enhancing teachers' preparedness to respond appropriately to students experiencing seizures in Nigerian secondary schools.

Keywords: Epilepsy education, epilepsy first-aid knowledge, secondary school teachers, epilepsy, seizure first aid, school health, emergency preparedness, teacher education, health promotion, neurological health, seizure management, public health, Nigeria.