Health-related quality of life of children with seizure disorder in Uyo, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Seizure disorder is a common chronic neurologic condition in children. Children with seizure disorder have been reported to have a more compromised health-related quality of life compared with healthy children. No known study has been undertaken in our environment.
Objectives: To assess the health-related quality of life of children with epilepsy and to compare it with that of apparently healthy children in Uyo, Nigeria.
Methods: Child self-report and parent-proxy report questionnaires (Pediatrics Quality of Life inventory version 4.0) were administered to 60 children and their mothers. Thirty of the children had seizure disorders and 30 were apparently healthy children who were age, gender and social class matched with the subjects. Parental education and occupation were used to allot a social class to the children.
Results: Of the 30 subjects/controls, 10 (33.3%) were males while 20 (66.7%) were females giving a male to female ratio of 1:2. Thirteen belonged to 8-12 years age group, 12 were 13-18 years old while 5 were 5-7 years of age. Majority (27) belonged to the upper and middle social classes and 3 belonged to the lower social class. Twenty children had good seizure control while 10 had one or more seizure episodes per month. Children with seizure disorder had mean total score and mean score in the subscales that was significantly lower than that of the controls. Good quality of life was associated with good seizure control.
Conclusion: Children with seizure disorder had lower health related quality of life than apparently healthy children. There is therefore need to maintain good seizure control in children with seizure disorder as it has a positive impact on health-related quality of life of these children.
Downloads
References
2. Freilinger M, Reisel B, Reiter E, Zelenko M, Hauser E, Seidi R. Behavioral and emotional problems in children with epilepsy. J Child Neurol. 2008; 21: 939-45. [PubMed]
3. Datta SS, Premkumar TS, Chandy S, Kumar S, Kirubakaran C, Gnanamuthu C, et al. Behaviour problemsin children and adolescents with seizure disorder: associations and risk factors. Seizure. 2005; 14: 190-7. [PubMed]
4. Lagunju IA, Omigbodun OO. Mental health problems in Nigerian children with epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behavior 2012; 2: 214-8.
5. Austin JK, Harezlak J, Dunn DW, Huster GA, Rose DF, Ambrosius WT. Behavior problems in children before first recognised seizures. Pediatrics 2001; 107: 115-22.
6. Caplan R, Siddarth P, Gurbani S, Ott D, Sankar R, Shields WD. Psychopathology and pediatric complex partial seizures: seizure-related, cognitive and linguistic variables. Epilepsia. 2004; 45: 1273-1281. [PubMed]
7. Dunn DW, Austin JK, Huster GA. Behaviour problems in children with new-onset epilepsy. Seizure. 1997;6: 283-7. [PubMed]
8. Dunn DW, Austin JK, Huster GA. Symptoms of depression in adolescents with epilepsy. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999; 38: 1132-8.
9. Ettinger AB, Weisbrit DM, Nolan EE et al. Symptoms of depression and anxiety in pediatric epilepsy patients. Epilepsia. 1998; 39: 595-9. [PubMed]
10. Hoare P. The development of psychiatric disorder among school children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1984; 26: 3-13. [PubMed]
11. Ott D, Caplan R, Guthrie D, et al. Measures of psychopathology in children with complex partial seizures and primary generalised epilepsy with absence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001; 40: 907-14.
12. Asindi AA, Eyong K. Stigma on Nigerian children living with epilepsy. J Pediatr Neurol. 2012; 10(2): 105-9.
13. Aronu AE, Ojinnaka NC. Psychiatric morbidity among parents of children with epilepsy in Enugu, Nigeria. Neurol Asia. 2009; 14: 15-20.
14. AronuAE, Iloeje SO. Behavioural problems of siblings of epileptic children in Enugu. Niger J ClinPract 2011;14: 132-6.
15. World Health Organization, World Health Organization constitution. Basic documents, Geneva 1948.
16. Lagunju IA, Akinyinka O, Orimadegun A, Akinbami FO, Brown BJ, Olorundare E, et al. Health-related quality of life of Nigerian children with epilepsy. Afr J Neurol Science (AJNS). 2009; 28(1):
17. Oyedeji G. Socio-economic and cultural background of hospitalized children in Ilesha. Nig Medical Pract. 1985; 12: 111-7.
18. Varmi JW et al. The PedsQL: Measurement Model for the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Medical Care. 1999; 37(2): 126-39. [PubMed]
19. Varmi JW, et al. The PedsQLTM4.0: Reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales in healthy and patient populations. Medical Care. 2001; 39(8): 800-12.
20. Huang I, Thompson LA, Chi YY, Knapp CA, Re-vicki DA, et al. The linkage between pediatric quality of life and health conditions. Establishing clinically meaningful cut-off scores for PedsQL. Value Health. 2009; 12(5): 773-81.
21. Akpan MU, Nyong EE, Abasiubong F. Pre-hospital treatment and outcome of status epilepticus in children in Nigeria. Case Study and Case Report. 2011; 1(2): 82-91.
22. Ekpe EE, Akpan MU. Poorly treated broncho-pneumonia with progression to empyema thoracis in Nigerian children. TAF Prev Med Bull. 2010; 9(3): 181-6.
23. Ekpe EE, Akpan MU. Outcome of tube thoracostomy in paediatric non-traumatic pleural fluid collections. Afr J Paediatr Surg.2013; 10(2): 122-6. [PubMed]
24. Miller V, Palermo TM, Grewe S. Quality of life in pediatric epilepsy: demographic comparison with healthy controls. Epilepsy Behav. 2003; 4(1): 36-42. [PubMed]
25. Monir ZM, EL-Alameey IR, Eltahlawy.E. Health related quality of life of children with epilepsy in Egypt. J Arab Soc Med Res. 2013; 8: 53-66.
26. Liu X, Han Q. Risk factors on health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy. Clin Pediatr. 2015; 54(4): 1334-8.
27. Ibekwe RC, Ojinnaka NC, Iloeje SO. Factors influencing the academic performance of school children with epilepsy. J Trop Pediatr. 2007; 53(5): 338-43. [PubMed]
28. Ojinnaka NC. Teachers’ perception of epilepsy in Nigeria: A community-based study. Seizure. 2002; 11: 386-91. [PubMed]
29. Ogun OC, Gbiri CA, Akinola OA, Akinola OE, Ajirotutu OF, et al. Psychosocial correlates of depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy in a Nigeria neuro-psychiatric hospital. J Clin Case Rep. 2012; 2: 152. Doi: 10.4172/2165-7920.1000152.
30. Nadkarni J, Jain A, Dwivedi R. Quality of life in children with epilepsy. Ann Acad Neurol. 2011; 14(4): 279-82. [PubMed]
Copyright (c) 2018 Author (s). Published by Siddharth Health Research and Social Welfare Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
OAI - Open Archives Initiative
