Abstracts

Rationale: While previous research has examined sociodemographic predictors of global health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in pediatric epilepsy, to date no studies have evaluated the determinants of more specific aspects of life quality. We therefore designed the current study to assess sociodemographic and neurological predictors of the psychosocial domains of HRQOL assessed by the Impact of Childhood Illness Scale (ICI; Hoare et al., 1995). The ICI evaluates the effects of pediatric illnesses in the following four domains: 1) adjustment and development of the affected child, 2) family functioning, 3) parental well-being, and 4) the impact of illness (in this case, epilepsy) and its treatment. Methods: Eighty-four children with chronic epilepsy who were referred for comprehensive evaluation at tertiary treatment centres were included in the current study. As part of each evaluation, parents rated their child’s life quality in the aforementioned specific domains using the ICI (Hoare et al., 1995). Information concerning seizure characteristics and neurological status was gathered retrospectively from medical charts. Results: Neurological variables such as epilepsy syndrome, number of prescribed anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were important determinants of parent ratings in many domains of HRQOL. Sociodemographic factors such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and parental education level did not predict parent HRQOL ratings. However, parental separation or divorce emerged as a determinant of problems with child development and adjustment (β = .23, p < .05). Additionally, multilingual status was associated with fewer adverse effects of epilepsy on family functioning (β = -.22, p < .05). Conclusions: Overall, neurological variables appear to be important predictors of HRQOL across domains, while more selective relationships are apparent for sociodemographic factors and life quality in pediatric epilepsy.