Quality of Life Assessment among Adult Epileptic Patients Taking Follow Up Care at Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, South West Ethiopia: Using Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31instrument

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy is neurological disorder which affects patient’s quality of life and their close social networks. Thus, this study assessed quality of life and associated factors among adult epileptic patients taking follow up care at Jimma University Medical Center from March 1 – 1 May, 2015. Methods: Institution based cross sectional study was used. A total of 314 epilepsy patients already receiving antiepileptic drugs for at least 3 months were randomly selected and interviewed. Quality of life in epilepsy inventory-31instrument was used to measure health quality of life. T-test, one way Anova and Pearson correlation were used to compare means and association between dependent and outcome variables. Multiple Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between health related quality of life and explanatory variables. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in this study. Result: From the total study participants, 304 (96.8 %) were interviewed. The average total Quality of life score of domains/subscales was; Seizure worry (50.8±19.9); Overall Quality of life (59.8±20.0); Emotional wellbeing (59.1 ±14.8), Energy/fatigue (59.9 ±13.6), Cognitive function (56.0 ±15.5), Medication effects (61.5±19.4), Social functioning (63.6 ± 17.7) and total (Overall) quality of life (58.8±10.6). Sex, Residence of the client, occupational status, performing regular exercise, Doing daily activities independently, Sleep pattern, Frequency of Anti Epileptic drugs taken/day, Side effect of the treatment, age of the patient when Anti Epileptic drugs started, current co-morbidities and Level of anxiety and depression was significantly associated with at least one of the seven domains of Quality of life score. Conclusion and Recommendation: Being female, Rural residence, Taking AEDs several times per day, becoming older age, side effect of treatment, current comorbidity with anxiety and depression and other disease, and also those wi