Health-related quality of life among persons with epilepsy--Texas, 1998

Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder characterized by unprovoked, recurrent seizures that may affect physical, mental, or behavioral functioning. In 1995, approximately 2.3 million persons residing in the United States had epilepsy. Approximately 181,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year, with annual estimated costs of $12.5 billion in medical care and lost productivity. Because epilepsy has a substantial impact on health (e.g., physical and psychosocial difficulties, side effects of anticonvulsant therapy, lifestyle restrictions, and perceived stigmatization), self-reported physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures are useful in gauging the impact of epilepsy on persons with the disorder. Persons with chronic health disorders are at risk for impaired HRQOL. Few studies have examined the HRQOL of persons with epilepsy, and none has used a representative sample of adults residing in the United States. This report examines data from the 1998 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) that included a question about epilepsy; findings indicate that persons with epilepsy reported substantially worse HRQOL than persons without epilepsy. Community-based interventions such as the Sepulveda Epilepsy Education Program that address medication self-management, psychosocial self-management, and other education interventions can improve the quality of life for persons with epilepsy.