King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Department of Biostatistics- Epidemiology and Scientific Computing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Sep;122:108208. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108208. Epub 2021 Aug 2.
Observational studies suggest that persons with seizure disorders are socially disadvantaged compared to the general population. There are scarce reports in the literature on the prevalence of employment and occupational safety among patients with seizure disorders in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to describe the occupational statuses of patients with seizure disorders and determine factors associated with unemployment.
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Five-hundred-and-forty patients with known seizure disorders or epilepsy who attended neurology and neurosurgery outpatient clinics between January and November 2018 completed a semi-structured questionnaire delivered by interview.
Forty-four percent of participants were unemployed (27% of males and 64% of females). Fifteen percent of currently or previously employed participants reported that they had formerly resigned from their job due to their seizure disorder, most commonly as a result of their own fears or concerns. Almost half of the participants reported that their employer made arrangements in the workplace for their seizure disorder, while 18% reported that they did not disclose their diagnosis. Gender, age, and highest educational level were associated with employment status and reason for unemployment. Patients with seizures secondary to trauma were less than half as likely to be employed compared to other participants (aOR = 0.45 95%CI 0.21-0.97, p = 0.042). Holding a driving license increased the odds of being employed (aOR = 2.68 95%CI 1.32-5.46, p = 0.007). Participants on 4 or more antiepileptic medications were more likely to report not being well enough to work.
Patients with seizure disorders are at increased risk of unemployment, even though many desire work. Unemployment is linked to social factors rather than disease-specific characteristics. Employers in Saudi Arabia generally accommodate patients in the workplace; however, individuals should further be empowered with information on safety in the workplace and their rights to employment.
观察性研究表明，与普通人群相比，癫痫患者在社会上处于不利地位。沙特阿拉伯有关癫痫患者就业和职业安全的文献报道甚少。我们旨在描述癫痫患者的职业状况，并确定与失业相关的因素。
这是一项在沙特阿拉伯利雅得的法赫德国王专科医院和研究中心进行的横断面研究。2018 年 1 月至 11 月期间，540 名已知癫痫或癫痫患者在神经科和神经外科门诊就诊，完成了由访谈提供的半结构式问卷。
44%的参与者失业（男性占 27%，女性占 64%）。15%的目前或以前有工作的参与者报告说，他们曾因癫痫而辞去工作，最常见的原因是他们自己的恐惧或担忧。近一半的参与者报告说，他们的雇主在工作场所为他们的癫痫做了安排，而 18%的人报告说他们没有透露自己的诊断。性别、年龄和最高教育水平与就业状况和失业原因有关。因创伤引起癫痫的患者与其他参与者相比，就业的可能性要低一半（优势比[OR] = 0.45，95%置信区间[CI]0.21-0.97，p = 0.042）。持有驾驶执照会增加就业的几率（OR = 2.68，95%CI 1.32-5.46，p = 0.007）。服用 4 种或更多种抗癫痫药物的参与者更有可能报告身体不适，无法工作。
癫痫患者失业风险增加，尽管许多人渴望工作。失业与社会因素有关，而不是与疾病特征有关。沙特阿拉伯的雇主通常会在工作场所为患者提供便利；然而，还应进一步向个人提供有关工作场所安全和就业权利的信息，以使他们获得赋权。
