Quality of Life and the Perceived Impact of Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objectives This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived impact of epilepsy on children and adolescents and analyze its aspects. Materials and methods The 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. Results The 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. Conclusion Better 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.