The effect of illness-related fears of parents of children with epilepsy during the COVID-19 period on their children ' s seizure self-ef fi cacy

Abstract

Background: Seizure -related self -efficacy is the belief individuals have that they can perform the necessary actions to cope effectively with their seizures. Determining, developing, strengthening, and maintaining the perception of self -efficacy in children with epilepsy facilitates the child 's disease management and their ability to cope with it. This study aimed to assess the impact of epilepsy -related parental fears during the COVID19 period on the seizure self -efficacy of their children. Methods: A total of 321 children with epilepsy and their parents participated in this descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study. Data were collected through the Descriptive Information Form, the Seizure SelfEfficacy Scale for Children (SSES-C), and the Epilepsy -Related Fears in Parents Questionnaire (EFPQ). Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, and mean scores, were used to analyze the characteristics of the children and their parents. The Shapiro -Wilk test was utilized to assess the normality of the scale data. Pearson correlation analysis examined the relationship between parents ' epilepsy -related fears and their children 's seizure self -efficacy, while multiple regression analysis determined the effect of parental fears on children 's seizure self -efficacy. Results: The mean age of children included in the study was 12.65 2.37 years. Analysis revealed a strong and significant negative correlation between parents ' epilepsy -related fears during the COVID-19 period and the seizure self -efficacy of their children. In the model created with regression analysis, The mean scores of parents on the short-term fears of parents about epilepsy of the EFPQ explained 85 % of children 's seizure self -efficacy. The mean scores of parents on the long-term fears of parents about epilepsy of the EFPQ explained 85 % of children 's seizure self -efficacy. It was determined that all of these variables together explained 85 % of the seizure self -efficacy of children with epilepsy. Conclusion: The findings of the study underscore the importance of addressing parents ' fears regarding epilepsy, emphasizing the need for healthcare professionals to be aware of and provide support for these concerns. Future studies should focus on interventions to enhance the seizure self -efficacy of children with epilepsy. (c) 2024 French Society of Pediatrics. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.