Abstract
Objective: To explore the socioeconomic factors associated with epilepsy in the Republic of Guinea. Methods: People living with epilepsy (PLWE) were prospectively recruited at Ignace Deen Hospital, Conakry, in 2018. An instrument exploring household assets as a measure of wealth was designed and administered. Multivariate logistic regression models with fixed effects were fitted to assess the associations of sociodemographic and microeconomic factors with self-reported frequency of seizures in the prior month and regular intake of antiseizure medications (ASMs). Participants were stratified by age group: children (<13 years), adolescents (13–21) and adults (>21). Results: A total of 285 participants (mean age 19.5 years; 129 females; 106 children, 72 adolescents, 107 adults, median household size 8) had an average of 4.2 seizures in the prior month. 64% were regularly taking ASMs. Direct costs of epilepsy were similar across income strata, averaging 60 USD/month in the lowest and 75 USD/month in the highest wealth quintiles (P = 0.42). The poorest PLWE were more likely to spend their money on traditional treatments (average 35USD/month) than on medical consultations (average 11 USD/month) (P = 0.01), whereas the wealthiest participants were not. Higher seizure frequency was associated with a lower household education level in adolescents and children (P = 0.028; P = 0.026) and with being male (P = 0.009) in children. Adolescents in higher-educated households were more likely to take ASMs (P = 0.004). Boys were more likely to regularly take ASMs than girls (P = 0.047). Conclusions: Targeted programming for children and adolescents in the households with the lowest education and for girls would help improve epilepsy care in Guinea.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 813-823 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Tropical Medicine and International Health |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2020 |
Keywords
- epilepsy
- global health
- health services
- health status disparities
- poverty
- risk factors
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases