Health-related quality of life in epilepsy and its associated factors among adult patients with epilepsy attending Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the mean score of health-related quality of life in epilepsy and its associated factors among adult patients with epilepsy.

DESIGN

Institution-based cross-sectional study based on random case selection was conducted.

SETTING

The study was carried out at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital located in Southwest Ethiopia.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 346 patients with epilepsy who visited the psychiatric clinic for follow-up for at least 3 months and who were 18 years or older were included in the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Health-related quality of life in epilepsy measured using quality-of-life in epilepsy (QOLIE)-31 health survey evaluated as a dependent variable with simple and multivariable linear regressions.

RESULTS

The overall weighted mean score of health-related quality of life was 55.6 (SD=20.9). Only 50.3% of patients scored above a total score of 50. Age (β=-0.35, 95% CI-0.46 to -0.23), anxiety (β=-6.79, 95% CI -9.26 to -4.32), depression (β=-7.36, 95% CI -10.16 to -4.55), low self-esteem (β=-5.29, 95% CI -8.07 to -2.51), perceived stigma (β=-3.62, 95% CI -6.30 to -0.94), taking medication two times or more times per day (β=-2.4, 95% CI -4.58 to -0.27), being illiterate (β=-4.1, 95% CI -6.87 to -1.31) and having more than two seizures for a year (β=-4.18, 95% CI -6.97 to -1.39) were negatively affecting health-related quality of life while income of >1000 birr per month (β=4.5, 95% CI 2.00 to 6.99), social support (β=0.34, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.40) and being free of seizure for a year (β=6.5, 95% CI 3.66 to 9.33) were positively affecting health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Only half of the patients with epilepsy in the study area are leading a better quality of life and the overall mean health-related quality of life score is lower than the global mean score. Health-related quality of life was inversely associated with age, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, perceived stigma, taking medication two times a day or more, being illiterate and experiencing more than two seizures in a year. Besides controlling seizures, public educational campaigns should be conducted to raise public awareness regarding the need for social support.