Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families
Background: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological condition in children, with a prevalence of 0.3% in Jordan. It significantly impacts patients’ and their families’ lives, shaped by cultural and socioeconomic factors. This study assessed the perceived impact of epilepsy on children and th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/2/228 |
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| author | Redab Al-Ghawanmeh Ala’a F. Al-Shaikh Salma Burayzat Ruba M. Jaber Mohammad Al-Tamimi Osama Zidan Samah Aburahmeh |
| author_facet | Redab Al-Ghawanmeh Ala’a F. Al-Shaikh Salma Burayzat Ruba M. Jaber Mohammad Al-Tamimi Osama Zidan Samah Aburahmeh |
| author_sort | Redab Al-Ghawanmeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological condition in children, with a prevalence of 0.3% in Jordan. It significantly impacts patients’ and their families’ lives, shaped by cultural and socioeconomic factors. This study assessed the perceived impact of epilepsy on children and their families in Jordan. Method: This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study recruiting 184 children under 18 years with epilepsy using a custom-designed questionnaire. Results: Nearly half of the patients experienced epilepsy onset before age three, and seizures were controlled in 73%. Around 60% of parents were satisfied with their understanding of the disease. Male gender and older age at diagnosis were associated with greater perceived severity, while older age at diagnosis correlated with a negative impact on caregivers’ earning potential. Patients with more anti-epileptic drugs reported more social constraints and older children expressed concerns about medication and seizure-related injuries. Cultural factors, such as family size and history, were associated with higher caregiver burden, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive assessment tools. Conclusions: Effective seizure control and quality of life improvements should be priorities in managing epilepsy in children. Cultural factors are strongly linked to caregiver burden, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive assessment tools for enhancing support and care outcomes across diverse populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfc4eedc0e6b4b7cbd842dfa24236b33 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfc4eedc0e6b4b7cbd842dfa24236b332025-08-20T02:44:42ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-02-0112222810.3390/children12020228Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their FamiliesRedab Al-Ghawanmeh0Ala’a F. Al-Shaikh1Salma Burayzat2Ruba M. Jaber3Mohammad Al-Tamimi4Osama Zidan5Samah Aburahmeh6Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, JordanMinistry of Health, Amman 11118, JordanDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, JordanDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Microbiology, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, JordanFaculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, JordanDepartment of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, JordanBackground: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological condition in children, with a prevalence of 0.3% in Jordan. It significantly impacts patients’ and their families’ lives, shaped by cultural and socioeconomic factors. This study assessed the perceived impact of epilepsy on children and their families in Jordan. Method: This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study recruiting 184 children under 18 years with epilepsy using a custom-designed questionnaire. Results: Nearly half of the patients experienced epilepsy onset before age three, and seizures were controlled in 73%. Around 60% of parents were satisfied with their understanding of the disease. Male gender and older age at diagnosis were associated with greater perceived severity, while older age at diagnosis correlated with a negative impact on caregivers’ earning potential. Patients with more anti-epileptic drugs reported more social constraints and older children expressed concerns about medication and seizure-related injuries. Cultural factors, such as family size and history, were associated with higher caregiver burden, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive assessment tools. Conclusions: Effective seizure control and quality of life improvements should be priorities in managing epilepsy in children. Cultural factors are strongly linked to caregiver burden, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive assessment tools for enhancing support and care outcomes across diverse populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/2/228pediatric epilepsyepilepsy treatmentperceived impactcaregiver burdenfamily impactcultural factors |
| spellingShingle | Redab Al-Ghawanmeh Ala’a F. Al-Shaikh Salma Burayzat Ruba M. Jaber Mohammad Al-Tamimi Osama Zidan Samah Aburahmeh Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families Children pediatric epilepsy epilepsy treatment perceived impact caregiver burden family impact cultural factors |
| title | Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families |
| title_full | Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families |
| title_fullStr | Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families |
| title_short | Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Its Treatment on Pediatric Patients and Their Families |
| title_sort | perceived impact of epilepsy and its treatment on pediatric patients and their families |
| topic | pediatric epilepsy epilepsy treatment perceived impact caregiver burden family impact cultural factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/2/228 |
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