Determining Seizure Self-Efficacy in School-Age and Adolescent Children with Epilepsy

Year 2026, Volume: 16 Issue: 1, 89 - 95, 19.03.2026

Özge Eda Karadağ Aytemiz , Şükran Musaoğlu , Duygu Gözen , Emine Kansu , Sema Aytar

https://izlik.org/JA93RT97KN

Abstract

Aim: Epilepsy frequently occurs in childhood and represents one
of the most common neurological conditions seen in this age
group. Managing the disorder effectively requires both adequate
seizure control and the development of strong self-efficacy skills.
This study aimed to explore the association between seizure-related
self-efficacy and various sociodemographic factors among
school-aged and adolescent children diagnosed with epilepsy.
Material and Methods: The study was descriptive and crosssectional
in design, conducted between March and August
2017 at the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic of a hospital
in Istanbul. A total of 127 children meeting the inclusion criteria
participated in the study after providing informed consent. Data
were gathered through a structured “Information Form” and the
“Seizure Self-Efficacy Scale for Children with Epilepsy.” Statistical
analyses included frequency distributions, one-way ANOVA, and
Student’s t-test.
Results: The average age of the participants was 12.6 years; the
majority were female (60.6%) and middle school students (51.2%).
The mean seizure self-efficacy score was 3.12, with a Cronbach’s
alpha of 0.866 indicating strong internal consistency. A significant
positive correlation was found between age and seizure self-efficacy
scores (p=0.017). Additionally, maternal (p=0.003) and paternal
(p=0.043) education levels were significantly associated with
differences in self-efficacy scores.
Conclusion: Children face challenges related to long-term medication
use and seizures. As age and parental education levels increase,
seizure self-efficacy improves.

Keywords

epilepsy , neurology , seizure , self-efficacy

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