Socioeconomic Correlations with Stigma in Adults with Epilepsy in Sweden
Abstract number :
2.277
Submission category :
11. Behavior/Neuropsychology/Language / 11A. Adult
Year :
2021
Submission ID :
1826520
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/5/2021 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2021, 06:55 AM
Authors :
Klara Andersson, MD, PhD-student - Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg; John Chaplin, Associate Professor - Department of pediatrics - Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg; Johan Zelano, Associate Professor - Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg; Kristina Malmgren, Professor - Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg; Anneli Ozanne, Associate Professor - Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Rationale: Stigma affects people with epilepsy to a varying extent. This study aimed to investigate associations between self-reported stigma and socioeconomic factors among native- and foreign-born adults with epilepsy in Sweden.
Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study was based on self-report questionnaires from adult patients with epilepsy attending three different out-patient neurology departments in Sweden. Epilepsy was defined according to the latest ILAE recommendations as having an ICD-10 code of G40 in the national patient register. The questionnaires contained questions on demographic background, socioeconomic factors, seizures and stigma measured by the eight-item NeuroQoL stigma scale and the three-item Jacoby stigma scale (JSS). Questionnaires were available in Swedish, English and Arabic, the most commonly spoken non-European language in Sweden. A cognitive debriefing of the Swedish and Arabic versions of the NeuroQoL stigma scale was performed as part of the translation process to ensure the cultural equivalence of the questions.
Patients were recruited between September 2019 and January 2021 in connection to their medical appointments. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27 and included Pearson’s Chi square test, Fisher’s exact test, Mantel-Haenszel test and Logistic regression. No imputations were made to missing data. Ethical permission was obtained from the Regional Ethical Board of Gothenburg and all participants signed an informed consent form prior to participation.
Results: The cohort consisted of 161 adults with epilepsy whereof 56.5% were female and 71.4% were native-born. 58.0% had tonic-clonic seizures and 54.7% had ≥1 seizure last year. The median NeuroQoL score was 49.3 (interquartile range 14.5). The median JSS score was 0.0 with 31.4% scoring >0. Factors significantly associated with a NeuroQoL score >50 were having ≥1 seizure last year, having visible seizures or seizures in public, being foreign-born, speaking another language than Swedish at home, not being employed full time and economic insecurity. The same factors significantly correlated with a JSS score >0.
Conclusions: Socioeconomic factors such as employment status, economic situation and immigrant status are associated with levels of reported stigma among patients with epilepsy in Sweden. To our knowledge these are new findings. The effects of stigma among patients with epilepsy and low socioeconomic status need to be further investigated.
Funding: Please list any funding that was received in support of this abstract.: This study was supported by Gothenburg Foundation for Neurological Research, the patient association NEURO Sweden, Margaretha hemmet Foundation, Amlövs Foundation and Linnea and Johan Carlssons Foundation.
Behavior