RESEARCH ARTICLE


The Impact of Pediatric Epilepsy on Children and Families: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study



Ahmed Hussein Subki1, *, Abdel Moniem Mukhtar2, Rakan Salah Al-Harbi1, Abdulaziz Khaled Alotaibi1, Faisal Ghazi Mosaad1, Mohammed Saad Alsallum1, Mohammed M.S. Jan1
1 Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia


Article Metrics

CrossRef Citations:
6
Total Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 1130
Abstract HTML Views: 360
PDF Downloads: 309
ePub Downloads: 222
Total Views/Downloads: 2021
Unique Statistics:

Full-Text HTML Views: 698
Abstract HTML Views: 256
PDF Downloads: 237
ePub Downloads: 189
Total Views/Downloads: 1380



Creative Commons License
© 2018 Subki et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Tel: 00966-560662735; E-mail: Ahs.subki@gmail.com


Abstract

Background and Objectives:

Epilepsy is considered one of the most prevalent causes of morbidity in children. The aim of this study is to determine how epilepsy impacts the lives of children with epilepsy and their families.

Methods:

A translated version of the “Impact of Pediatric Epilepsy Scale” (IPES) questionnaire was completed by the 80 mothers of children with epilepsy, recruited at three hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia This is a validated self-administered questionnaire used to assess the impact of epilepsy on the lives of the child and family, as well as the quality of life (QoL) of the child.

Results:

The mean age of children epilepsy was 6.32 years (SD = 3.22). The mean IPES score was 6.28 (SD = 8.42) and the mean child’s QoL was 2.85 (SD= 0.83). 87.5% of the mothers rated their child’s QoL as low. IPES score was significantly associated with cause of seizure (β=0.259; 95%-CI= 0.263 - 10.334; p = 0.039). Child’s QoL was significantly associated with frequency of seizure (β=0.251; 95%-CI= 0.016 - 0.568; p= 0.039) and child’s nationality (β=-0.270; 95%-CI -0.252, -0.013; p= 0.031).

Conclusions:

Pediatric epilepsy may have a greater impact on the lives of the child and the family when it is not comorbid with cerebral palsy. Quality of life tends to be lower for non-Saudi children, and children with more frequent seizures. Therefore, these groups may need more support in managing the impact that epilepsy has on their daily functioning and quality of life.

Keywords: Epilepsy, Child, Family, Cerebral palsy, Quality of life, Pediatric epilepsy.