Health-related quality of life and its determinants among ambulatory patients with epilepsy at Ambo General Hospital, Ethiopia: Using WHOQOL-BREF

Background Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is used as a measure of treatment outcomes, in addition to seizure control. Hence, the study was aimed to assess HRQOL and its determinants among adult patients with epilepsy (PWE). Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 20 to June 27/2019, through patient interviews and patient’s chart review (medication and clinical information). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The psychometric property was done using Cronbach’s alpha test value of >0.7 as accepted internal consistency and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sample size adequacy value of ≥0.5 as acceptable construct validity, for Afaan Oromo version questionnaire. Multivariate linear logistic regression analysis was done to find predictors for the HRQOL score. Results Of 121 PWE included in the study, 24.4% had overall poor HRQOL with the overall mean ±SD score of 56.42±10.96. The predictors for low overall HRQOL score were: presence of co-morbidity (B = -5.620, SE = 1.531, p<0.0001, 95% C.I = -8.656 to -2.584), uncontrolled seizure for at least 2 years (B = -4.239, SE = 1.296, p = 0.001, 95% C.I = -6.809 to -1.670), divorced (B = -8.423, SE = 2.241, p<0.0001, 95%C.I = -12.867 to -3.978) relative to married, and no education (B = -8.715, SE = -8.15, SE = 2.604, p = 0.001, 95%C.I = -9.648 to -1.316) relative to who had level of education above tertiary. In addition, uncontrolled seizure (irrespective of time since seizure-free) (B = -10.083, SE = 2.104, p<0.0001, 95%C.I = -14.256 to -5.910), being widowed (B = -9.300, SE = 3.594, p = 0.011, 95%C.I = -16.429–2.170) relative to married and being illiterate/no education (B = -13.004, SE = 3.910, p = 0.001, 95%C.I = -20.760 to -5.248) relative to educational level of tertiary and above were found to be the strongest negative predictors of HRQOL of physical health. Moreover, uncontrolled seizure (irrespective of time since seizure-free) (B = -12.668, SE = 2.019, p<0.0001, 95%C.I = -16.671 to -8.664) and being divorced (B = -10.153, SE = 3.228, p = 0.002, 95%C.I = -16.556 to -3.751) compared to married were strong predictors for low HRQOL score of psychological health. Absence of Poly-pharmacy (B = 9.050, SE = 3.027, P = 0.003, 95%C.I = 3.047 to 15.054), being single (B = -9.551, SE = 2.095, p<0.0001, 95%C.I = -14.419 to -4.683), and divorced (B = -11.022, SE = 3.351, P = 0.001, 95%C.I = -17.668 to -4.376) relative to married were found to be strong predictors for HRQOL score of social health. Moreover, low HRQOL score of environmental health was predicted by rural residence (B = -5.795, SE = 2.101, p = 0.007, 95%C.I = -9.962 to -1.628), co-morbidity (B+ -4.230, SE = 2.125, p = 0.049, 95%C.I = -8.444 to -0.015) & uncontrolled seizure irrespective of time since seizure-free (B = -6.907, SE = 1.945, p = 0.001, 95%C.I = -10.765 to -3.049) and uncontrolled seizure of at least 2 years (B = -4.520, SE = 1.798, p = 0.014, 95%C.I = -8.088 to -0.953). Conclusions The majority of the study participants had a good overall HRQOL. In general, a low level of HRQOL score was significantly associated with the marital status of single/widowed/divorced, low level of education, low level of monthly income, co-morbidity, uncontrolled seizure, and poly-pharmacy; irrespective of HRQOL domains. Therefore, it is required to improve HRQOL, by avoiding modifiable factors for PWE to achieve the optimum HRQOL.