Mark Kaddumukasa1, Levicatus Mugenyi2, Samden Lhatoo3, Nelson Sewankambo4, Carol Blixen5, Martha Sajatovic6, Elly Katabira7. 1. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: mkaddumukasa@chs.mak.ac.ug. 2. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. 3. Department of Neurology, The University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street - Suite MSB 7.044, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: samden.d.lhatoo@uth.tmc.edu. 4. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: sewankam@infocom.co.ug. 5. Neurological and Behavioral Outcomes Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center & Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Electronic address: cxb28@case.edu. 6. Neurological and Behavioral Outcomes Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center & Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Electronic address: Martha.Sajatovic@UHhospitals.org. 7. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: katabira@imul.com.
Abstract
RATIONALE: There is a paucity of information about the association of seizure severity and quality of life (QoL) in people living with epilepsy (PLWE) in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the relationship between seizure severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with epilepsy being followed up in an outpatient neurology clinic in urban central Uganda. METHODS: Forty-eight PLWE who met the study inclusion criteria were enrolled. The study questionnaire was comprised of the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale (CSSS) and the Quality of Life Inventory in Epilepsy (QOLIE-31). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between seizure severity and QoL score. RESULTS: The median age of the study participants was 25 years, with median age (interquartile range (IQR)) of epilepsy onset of 12 (6-18) years. Over 57.4% of the study participants were unemployed. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) of QOLIE-31 and Seizure Severity Score was 62.5 (14.5) and 62.4 (1.6), respectively. There was no gender difference in the seizure severity scores (p = 0.451). An inverse relationship existed between seizure severity and the total QOLIE-31 score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, r = -0.48, p = 0.001), and seizure worry (r = -0.31, p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: In this Ugandan sample, seizure severity is unacceptably high and directly impacts the life of PLWE. Interventions that reduce seizure severity are urgently needed in our settings to reduce seizures and improve the QoL in PLWE.
RATIONALE: There is a paucity of information about the association of seizure severity and quality of life (QoL) in people living with epilepsy (PLWE) in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the relationship between seizure severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with epilepsy being followed up in an outpatient neurology clinic in urban central Uganda. METHODS: Forty-eight PLWE who met the study inclusion criteria were enrolled. The study questionnaire was comprised of the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale (CSSS) and the Quality of Life Inventory in Epilepsy (QOLIE-31). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between seizure severity and QoL score. RESULTS: The median age of the study participants was 25 years, with median age (interquartile range (IQR)) of epilepsy onset of 12 (6-18) years. Over 57.4% of the study participants were unemployed. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) of QOLIE-31 and Seizure Severity Score was 62.5 (14.5) and 62.4 (1.6), respectively. There was no gender difference in the seizure severity scores (p = 0.451). An inverse relationship existed between seizure severity and the total QOLIE-31 score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, r = -0.48, p = 0.001), and seizure worry (r = -0.31, p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: In this Ugandan sample, seizure severity is unacceptably high and directly impacts the life of PLWE. Interventions that reduce seizure severity are urgently needed in our settings to reduce seizures and improve the QoL in PLWE.
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