Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology (Jan 2011)

Quality of life in children with epilepsy

  • Jayashree Nadkarni,
  • Arti Jain,
  • Rashmi Dwivedi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-2327.91948
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 4
pp. 279 – 282

Abstract

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Background: Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition with many co-morbid features. It has been observed that children with epilepsy (CWE) have a compromised quality of life (QOL). Objective: To assess the QOL in CWE and to study the various factors affecting QOL among CWE. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 102 CWE aged 5-15 years of either sex. QOL was measured by Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE) questionnaire, a 76-item, parent-reported questionnaire. Cronbach alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the subscales and Pearson correlation to determine construct validity. The t-test and analysis of variance were used to compare mean QOLCE scores. Results: Factors affecting QOL included age, place of residence, socioeconomic condition, maternal education, seizure type and frequency and number of antiepileptic drugs. Conclusion: CWE have a relatively compromised QOL and comprehensive care needs to go beyond the attempt of controlling seizures.

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