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Published on: October 19, 2021
Growth parameters and childhood epilepsy in Hai District, Tanzania: a community-based study
Jane J Rogathe1, Jim Todd2, Ewan Hunter3
1Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania.
Insights
This study found no link between nutritional status and epilepsy in rural Tanzanian children. Comprehensive care for children with epilepsy (CWE) remains important, regardless of nutritional findings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Public Health
- Nutritional Epidemiology
Background:
- Epilepsy is a significant neurological disorder, particularly in low-resource settings.
- Growth parameters and nutritional status are crucial indicators of child health.
- Understanding the relationship between nutrition and epilepsy is vital for effective interventions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between growth parameters and epilepsy in children.
- To determine if nutritional status is a risk factor for epilepsy in a rural SSA community.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hai District Demographic Surveillance Site, Tanzania.
- Children with epilepsy (CWE) aged 6-14 years were identified and compared with age-matched controls.
- Anthropometric measurements were used to assess nutritional status, with body mass index (BMI) calculated.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in BMI was observed between children with epilepsy and controls (p=0.117).
- BMI was not significantly associated with motor difficulties, antiepileptic drug use, cognitive/behavioral problems, or seizure frequency in cases.
- BMI showed significant associations with socio-economic status (p=0.037) and age in the overall group.
Conclusions:
- The study found no evidence of a causal association between undernutrition and epilepsy in this Tanzanian community.
- Nutritional status did not differ significantly between children with epilepsy and their matched controls.
- Nutritional assessment should remain an integral part of comprehensive care for children with epilepsy (CWE).
Aim:
This cross-sectional study examined whether growth parameters were associated with epilepsy in children living in a rural community in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was performed in the Hai District Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS), Tanzania in which 6-14 year old children with epilepsy (CWE) were identified. Age matched controls were randomly selected from the Hai census database for comparison. Anthropometric measurements were used to assess the nutritional status of the children and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Associations between social, demographic and nutritional factors and epilepsy were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.
Results:
112 CWE were identified and were compared with 113 controls. There was no significant difference in the BMI between cases and controls (T-test, p-value of 0.117). Amongst cases, there were no significant associations between BMI and motor difficulties, antiepileptic drug use, cognitive or behavioural problems, early-onset epilepsy or seizure frequency. In the whole group, BMI was significantly associated with socio-economic status (p=0.037) and age.
Discussion:
There was no significant difference found between CWE and matched controls with respect to nutritional status. This suggests that there is no causal association between under nutrition and epilepsy in this community. Nutritional assessment is still important as part of the comprehensive care of CWE.
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