Socio-demographic characteristics of adolescents with epilepsy in Northern Jordan

OBJECTIVE The main objectives of this study were to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of epilepsy, and to compare these results with findings of comparable studies from other parts of the world. METHOD Initially, the target population of this study consisted of 116 patients with epilepsy randomly selected, over a 6-month period, from those patients attending the neurology clinic at Princess Basma Teaching Hospital (PBTH) in Northern Jordan. However, seven patients were dropped from the study and eight others refused to participate in the study. A semi-structured clinico-epidemiological questionnaire was used to investigate the most significant socio-demographic characteristics of this group of adolescent Jordanian patients with epilepsy such as age, sex, living status, family history, type of epilepsy, and some other special clinical investigations. To further evaluate the significance of a family history of epilepsy, the education attainment and employment in these patients with epilepsy were compared with a similar number of age, sex matched control cases obtained from patients attending the hospital for reasons other than epilepsy. RESULTS Among the study population, the mean age at presentation was 19 years (SD+/-2.7); 54 were males 47 were females. Fifty three patients had a poor level of education because they had less than 10 years of formal education, 29 had an average level of education (10-12 years) of formal education, and 19 had achieved a higher level of education. Thirty patients were employed, 21 unemployed and 50 were students. Twelve patients were living alone and leading independent lives, 88 patients were living with parents and siblings. One male patient was married and living with his wife and children. A positive family history was present in first degree relatives in 11 patients as compared to 3 in the control group. Ninety eight patients suffered from generalized epilepsy and three from partial epilepsy. Sixty seven patients reported an aura and 84 patients had post ictal complaints such as sleepiness, headache, or drowsiness. CONCLUSION Socio-demographic characteristics of this group of adolescents with epilepsy are compatible with the results of the work of others such as Elwes [Neurosurg Psychiatr 54 (1991) 200], in the North East of England and Hauser from the Mayo clinic in his descriptive study of the epidemiology of epilepsy.