Quality of Life Among Patients With Epilepsy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions which affects 50 million individuals worldwide and has a high prevalence rate in Saudi Arabia (0.654%). Epilepsy negatively impacts the global health and lowers the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals. Patients with epilepsy not only deal with the symptoms of the disease but also with the adverse effects of treatment and the worry of an unexpected crisis.

This study aimed to assess the QoL in patients with epilepsy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a governmental hospital on 101 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The QoL of patients with epilepsy was assessed using an Arabic version of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory 31 (QOLIE-31) questionnaire to examine the QoL. Data analysis of the study was carried out by using descriptive statistics (SPSS) version 23.

The overall score was 51.2, indicating a decline in the QoL of patients with epilepsy. This score was compared with a published global normative mean QOLIE-31 score of 59.8. The difference between the study mean and the global mean was statistically significant (one-sample t-test, t = -5.223, p < 0.001). The domains with the highest rankings were in the following order: overall QoL (61.9), energy/fatigue (52.3), cognitive function (51.9), social function (51.8), medication effects (45.9), emotional well-being (45.7), and seizure-worry (39.1).

Epilepsy was associated with a reduced QoL among patients in Jeddah, particularly in the domains of seizure worry, emotional well-being, and medication effects. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive management strategies that address not only seizure control but also the psychosocial aspects of epilepsy care.