ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the factors predicting poorer quality of life (QOL) among patients with epilepsy attending an out-patient clinic in a Nigerian tertiary hospital, and reflect on the barriers to successful adoption of a structured QOL instrument into routine clinical practice. METHODS: Two-hundred and seventy patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy attending the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria were recruited. Sociodemographic and clinical information were collected using a proforma. QOLIE-31 was administered to measure QOL. RESULTS: The mean (SD) QOLIE-31 scores were 77.98 (13.32), with 15.2%, 74.1%, and 10.7% of the respondents classified as low, moderate, and high QOL, respectively. Factors associated with poorer QOL include seizure frequency, depression, and family history of epilepsy. CONCLUSION: Quality of life is an important outcome measure for people with epilepsy and it focuses on the individual's subjective assessment of their well-being. Although useful for clinical management of patients with epilepsy, the uniqueness of the practice settings and the limitations of clinical practice in a developing country pose challenges to successful adoption of structured QOL instrument into routine clinical practice.
