Quality of life in children with epilepsy

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.