Abstract / Description of output
Introduction
Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the brain characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or generalized seizures affecting around 50 million people globally. It has a significant negative impact on the physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being of the patients, their families, and society in general (Akosile et al., 2021). Omani patients living with epilepsy are facing difficulties with their daily living which can compromise their health-related quality of life. Furthermore, having unpredictable and recurrent seizures has been shown to create a stigma for patients with epilepsy (Mroueh et al., 2020).
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe the perception of quality of life and stigma confronted by the adult Omani patients living with epilepsy.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the two major public tertiary care neurological centres of Muscat city. One hundred and twenty adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy and on regular treatment from these two hospitals completed a quality of life and Jacoba’s stigma survey after giving their informed consent.
Results
The majority of the patients living with epilepsy are males (60.8%) and their average age was 31±11.569. Most of them (55%) had generalized seizures and the mean frequency of seizure episode was 2.45±2.953. The majority (45.8%) of the Omani patients living with epilepsy reported moderate (4-7) quality of life in a scale of 0 to 10. More than half of the participants (52.5%) perceived stigma because of epilepsy. Those who perceived higher levels of stigma reported statistically significant lower levels of QOL at p<.05 levels. Epilepsy patients with higher educational level, and monotherapy (one anti-epileptic drug intake) reported statistically significant higher levels of HRQOL at p<.05 levels.
Conclusion
Patients living with epilepsy in Oman reported moderate levels of quality of life and higher levels of stigma because of their disease. Assessing the quality of life of these epilepsy patients regularly and developing strategies to improve their HRQOL is the need of the hour. This dashboard of findings from this study will allow us to establish health promotion, educational strategies, and prevention strategies to improve the quality of life of the Omani patients with epilepsy. Creating awareness about the disease and its management can play a major role in reducing stigma.
Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the brain characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or generalized seizures affecting around 50 million people globally. It has a significant negative impact on the physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being of the patients, their families, and society in general (Akosile et al., 2021). Omani patients living with epilepsy are facing difficulties with their daily living which can compromise their health-related quality of life. Furthermore, having unpredictable and recurrent seizures has been shown to create a stigma for patients with epilepsy (Mroueh et al., 2020).
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe the perception of quality of life and stigma confronted by the adult Omani patients living with epilepsy.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the two major public tertiary care neurological centres of Muscat city. One hundred and twenty adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy and on regular treatment from these two hospitals completed a quality of life and Jacoba’s stigma survey after giving their informed consent.
Results
The majority of the patients living with epilepsy are males (60.8%) and their average age was 31±11.569. Most of them (55%) had generalized seizures and the mean frequency of seizure episode was 2.45±2.953. The majority (45.8%) of the Omani patients living with epilepsy reported moderate (4-7) quality of life in a scale of 0 to 10. More than half of the participants (52.5%) perceived stigma because of epilepsy. Those who perceived higher levels of stigma reported statistically significant lower levels of QOL at p<.05 levels. Epilepsy patients with higher educational level, and monotherapy (one anti-epileptic drug intake) reported statistically significant higher levels of HRQOL at p<.05 levels.
Conclusion
Patients living with epilepsy in Oman reported moderate levels of quality of life and higher levels of stigma because of their disease. Assessing the quality of life of these epilepsy patients regularly and developing strategies to improve their HRQOL is the need of the hour. This dashboard of findings from this study will allow us to establish health promotion, educational strategies, and prevention strategies to improve the quality of life of the Omani patients with epilepsy. Creating awareness about the disease and its management can play a major role in reducing stigma.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - Jun 2024 |
| Event | 16th International Conference on Neurology and Neuromuscular Disorders” - London, UK, London, United Kingdom Duration: 27 Jun 2024 → 28 Jun 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | 16th International Conference on Neurology and Neuromuscular Disorders” |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | London |
| Period | 27/06/24 → 28/06/24 |