Abstracts

Rationale: Epilepsy can affect the quality of life not only of the patients, but also the entire family. In addition to direct effects of the epilepsy itself, behavioral problems of the patients may have significant influence on their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of specific behavioral problems on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as well as the effect of total behavioral problems in children and adolescents with epilepsy.Methods: Subjects were 90 epilepsy patients between the ages of 6 and 17 years and their parents. We administered the HRQOL questionnaire to both children and parents. Behavior problems were measured using the Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Further data were collected from medical records and interviews. The predictors of HRQOL were identified using bivariate methods and stepwise regression analyses.Results: The mean score of the total HRQOL was 152.16 (SD: 17.95). Stepwise regression analysis of the eight subscales of CBCL revealed that social problems, delinquent behavior, and maternal education were significant predictors that explain 41.5% of the variation in HRQOL. For the total behavior problems, the final model included total behavior problems, maternal education, and number of AEDs as predictors that explain 42.7% of the variation in HRQOL. Conclusions: These results revealed that the importance of assessment and management of possible behavior problems has been underscored. To improve their HRQOL, special attention should be paid for behavioral aspects as well, especially for social problems and delinquent behavior in children and adolescents with epilepsy.