Abstract
Epilepsy has garnered increased public health focus because patients who suffer from epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment and care advances. The epidemiology of epilepsy is diverse in different countries and regions. This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the life time prevalence and health related factors of epilepsy for the first time in Iran through a two-phase door-to-door survey method. In phase I, a screening for epilepsy was performed on 68,035 people. Then in phase II, after the neurological evaluation of participants and reviewing medical records, 1130 subjects with epilepsy was confirmed. The life time prevalence of epilepsy was achieved to be 16.6 per 1000 people (95% CI 15.4–17.8) with the average age onset 19.1 ± 21.1 (active prevalence 9.5 per 1000 people). Focal seizure (59.3%), generalized epilepsy (38%) and unknown types of epilepsy (2.7%) were detected among participants. The overall life time prevalence of febrile convulsion was 4.1 per 1000 people. The frequency of attacks per year and per month were 3.0 ± 1.6 and 0.5 ± 0.1, respectively. Age-specific life time prevalence was highest among the age group of 15–19 years old [32.7 per 1000 persons (95% CI 29.1–36.8)] and it was higher in male (53.8%) than female (46.2%) participants. Our results showed that the life time prevalence of epilepsy in Iran is higher than worldwide average.
Highlights
Epilepsy has garnered increased public health focus because patients who suffer from epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment and care advances
The life time prevalence of epilepsy in this study was remarkably lower than other small conducted similar studies in Iran due to the large representative sample size that was used in the present study
Our results concluded that the life time prevalence of epilepsy in Iran is superior to that compared with global life time prevalence of epilepsy in 2 0166, probably due to the high prevalence of traumatic disasters especially road traffic injuries, occupational and the Iran-Iraq war injuries[7]
Summary
Epilepsy has garnered increased public health focus because patients who suffer from epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment and care advances. The epidemiology of epilepsy is diverse in different countries and regions This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the life time prevalence and health related factors of epilepsy for the first time in Iran through a two-phase doorto-door survey method. The present study is the first nationwide study which provided updated national and modeled state-specific numbers of active epilepsy cases. This survey was proposed in order to clarify and determine the life time prevalence of epilepsy among both sexes, besides the most common risk factors, etiologies, the mean age of onset of epilepsy, the pharmacotherapy approach of Iranian neurologists and the average expenditure paid off by the patients. Health care providers, policy makers, epilepsy researchers, and other epilepsy stakeholders, including family members and people with epilepsy, can use these findings to ensure that evidencebased programs meet the complex needs of adults and children with epilepsy and reduce the disparities resulting from it
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