Determinants of Quality of Life in Nigerian Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy: A Hospital-based Study

Purpose: Though studies abound on the quality of life (QoL) in chronic illnesses, there has been little focus on children and adolescents. This study investigated the determinants of QoL in children and adolescents with epilepsy in a Nigerian Tertiary Mental Health Institution. Methods: The study involved 67 adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age, diagnosed with epilepsy. Depression was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiology Study Depression Scale, and their QoL was assessed using the Comprehensive QoL Scale (ComQol-S). Data was analysed using Spearman’s Correlation Coefficients and linear regression (p<0.05). Results: The mean age of the participants was 14.5±4.0 years. Twenty-two (32.8%) of them were depressed. Participants scored significantly higher (p<0.00) in health, productivity, community participation and emotional domains and total QoL scores in the subjective axis than in the objective axis of QoL. When controlled for age and gender, the lower the educational attainments of the participants, the higher was their depression scores. Depression, seizure frequency at presentation at the clinic, seizure frequency at onset and age predicted poor QoL. Parents’ socio-economic status predicted seizure frequency. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of depression in Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy. Epilepsy has a negative impact on their QoL. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the condition in order to reduce the frequency of seizures and improve their psycho-social well-being. DOI: 10.5463/dcid.v22i3.99