Wiedza i świadomość pediatrów w Palestynie dotycząca leczenia epilepsji, jej przyczyn i chorób towarzyszących

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological conditions in pediatric populations, and its management extends beyond seizure control to encompass comorbidities, psychosocial well-being, and long-term care. In the West Bank, Palestine, limited availability of pediatric neurologists means that general pediatricians often serve as the primary point of contact for children with epilepsy. Despite this critical role, no study has comprehensively assessed epilepsy knowledge among pediatricians in this setting. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of epilepsy management, etiologies, and comorbidities among pediatricians practicing in the West Bank. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 246 pediatric residents, general pediatricians, and pediatric subspecialists from November 2025 to March 2026. A validated questionnaire covering five knowledge domains (etiology, long-term management, comorbidities, quality of life, and first-aid management) was administered. Responses were classified as correct or incorrect, and composite scores were calculated for each domain. Group comparisons were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, with post-hoc pairwise comparisons where applicable. RESULTS: The overall aggregate correct response rate was 71.3%, with a median total score of 18 out of 25. Respondents performed best in first-aid management (81.6%) and long-term management (76.5%), while the lowest scores were observed in quality of life (55.2%) and comorbidities (67.7%). Notable gaps included low recognition of social difficulties (33.7%), increased aggression (34.1%), and comorbid hyperactivity (46.3%) in children with epilepsy, as well as incomplete awareness of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, recognized by only 62.6% of respondents. Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed significant differences by professional role for etiology (p < 0.001), long-term management (p = 0.019), and total score (p = 0.021). Age and medical school location showed no significant associations with knowledge scores, while gender was associated with a significant difference only in the quality of life domain (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Palestinian pediatricians demonstrate moderate overall epilepsy knowledge but exhibit clinically meaningful gaps in recognizing psychosocial consequences and comorbidities. These findings highlight the need for targeted continuing medical education programs and curricular reforms in pediatric residency training, with emphasis on the psychosocial dimensions and comorbidity burden of childhood epilepsy.