Tajudeen Nuhu Folorunsho, Jika Yusuf Abdulkareem, Akinbiyi Akinsola, Oluyinka Fawole Joseph, Joseph Babalola Obafemi, Titilope Sulaiman Zainab, Oyeniran Ayilara Olaniyi
Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Barnawa, Kaduna. Nigeria.
Pan Afr Med J. 2010 Jun 1;5:16. doi: 10.4314/pamj.v5i1.56176.
Caring for patients with chronic medical and psychiatric disorders is associated with significant burden. However little is known about the burden experience by caregivers of patients with epilepsy in Nigeria. The objective of this study, therefore, was to assess the level and correlates of burden among caregivers of patients with epilepsy.
It was a cross-sectional study carried out among 231 eligible caregivers of patients with epilepsy attending the psychiatric clinic of government psychiatric hospital in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Sociodemographic/clinical characteristics of patients and socio-demographic characteristics of caregivers were recorded, and the Zarit Burden Interview administered to caregivers to assess their experience of burden.
The mean age of the caregivers was 43.6 ± 9.5 years, 52.4% lived outside Kaduna and the mean seizure-free period for the patients was 26.4 ± 36.5 weeks. One hundred and twenty (51.9%) caregivers had high burden. High burden was significantly associated with patients aged less than 20 years, patient's unemployment, long duration of epilepsy, short seizure-free period, family history of epilepsy and living outside Kaduna (p value<0.05).
Caregivers of patients with epilepsy experience significant burden while caring for their relatives and this is mainly associated with patient's factors and location of residence. Therefore efforts should be made control seizure and make health care available and affordable to all citizens irrespective of where they live.
照料患有慢性内科和精神疾病的患者会带来巨大负担。然而，对于尼日利亚癫痫患者照料者的负担情况却知之甚少。因此，本研究的目的是评估癫痫患者照料者的负担水平及其相关因素。
这是一项横断面研究，对在尼日利亚北部卡杜纳州政府精神病医院精神科门诊就诊的231名符合条件的癫痫患者照料者进行了调查。记录了患者的社会人口统计学/临床特征以及照料者的社会人口统计学特征，并对照料者进行了 Zarit 负担访谈以评估他们的负担体验。
照料者的平均年龄为43.6±9.5岁，52.4%的人居住在卡杜纳州以外，患者的平均无癫痫发作期为26.4±36.5周。120名（51.9%）照料者负担较重。高负担与年龄小于20岁的患者、患者失业、癫痫病程长、无癫痫发作期短、癫痫家族史以及居住在卡杜纳州以外显著相关（p值<0.05）。
癫痫患者的照料者在照料亲属时经历了巨大负担，这主要与患者因素和居住地点有关。因此，应努力控制癫痫发作，并使所有公民无论居住在何处都能获得负担得起的医疗保健服务。
