Abstract
ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived impact of epilepsy on children and adolescents and analyze its aspects.Materials and methodsThe study included patients with epilepsy aged between and two and 19 years old in three major hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online survey.ResultsThe mean score percentage of the quality of life (QOL) assessment was 65.6. This study showed better mean score QOL percentages in males (67), adolescents (65), patients with higher family income and socioeconomic status (64), and those living in Al Jubail (71). QOL was negatively associated with seizure frequency, the number of fears, problems, and concerns, and longer treatment duration. The most common concerns in children and adolescents with epilepsy are having/starting a relationship with others and what people at school will think if they have a seizure. The most common problems were lack of concentration and feeling short-tempered or grumpy. Continuing with education was the most common fear for the future. The most common concern of parents/caregivers was their ability to keep up with schoolwork. The QOL of participants who preferred to keep their epilepsy a secret (69) and those who used magazines and books (71) as one of the sources of information was better than that of those who did not.ConclusionBetter QOL was found in males, adolescents, patients with higher family income, those living in Al Jubail, who preferred to keep their epilepsy a secret, and those who used magazines and books as sources of information. However, the QOL was negatively associated with seizure frequency, the number of fears, problems, and concerns that the patients/caregivers had, and longer treatment duration.
Highlights
50 million people of all ages suffer from epilepsy worldwide [1]
This study showed better mean score quality of life (QOL) percentages in males (67), adolescents (65), patients with higher family income and socioeconomic status (64), and those living in Al Jubail (71)
The most common concerns in children and adolescents with epilepsy are having/starting a relationship with others and what people at school will think if they have a seizure
Summary
Epilepsy is a disease of the brain characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures that result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Unprovoked seizures represent those without a known underlying cause [2]. The incidence of epilepsy is expected to increase with time as life expectancy increases worldwide and as advances in health care have resulted in the survival of patients who suffered incidents, predisposing them to develop epilepsy [1]. In Saudi Arabia, the major neurological disorders are the most common chronic pediatric disorders, where the epilepsy prevalence rate is 8.8 per 10,000 [6], with males being more affected [7]. Many patients with epilepsy have coexisting physical or psychiatric comorbidities, which affect their quality of life (QOL) [1,8]
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