Abstracts

Rationale: Epilepsy is a health problem in Mexico that affects 2% of the population, and 75% begins before adolescents. Its important to assess the quality of life and impact in pediatric patients with epilepsy and its treatment in a mexican pediatric population with epilepsy, and with this data, provide a new strategies for multidisciplinary treatment Methods: Participants were almost 200 patients, between 6 and 18years old who was diagnosed and had been treated for epilepsy at pediatric epilepsy center in Mexico. To obtain data, the QOLIE-31 survey was applied. This is a spanish version modified for pediatric patients, and consists in a evaluation together with the parents. Data were analysed with SPSS 16.0 program using multiple regression. Results: The results of the analysis showed a relatively fair level of pediatric patients quality of life. The perceive stigma against epilepsy was found in almost the half of the patients. Multiple regression showed that monthly income, the number of antiepileptic drugs and its costs, the bad schoolar point of view and the perceived stigma level against epilepsy are the factors wich significantly influence the quality of life level of the pediatrics patients Conclusions: The results of this study, the first in mexican pediatric population, indicated that a several factors impact over the quality of life of pediatric epileptic patients with epilepsy. These findings may help healthcare providers in Mexico prepare the epilepsy family and patients programmes wich could offer information and knowledge about epilepsy to relieve the social and academic stigma of the families, and support the family economically