The Influence of Selected Factors on Quality of Life of Children with Epilepsy Perceived by Caregivers

Abstract

This predictive study aimed to examine the influence of selected factors (e.g., burden fatigue and anxiety of caregivers) on quality of life of children with epilepsy perceived by caregivers. Purposive sampling was used to select 70 caregivers who took school age children and adolescents with epilepsy to the pediatric clinic at a hospital in Southern, Thailand. The data were collected using 4 questionnaires: 1) demographic data, 2) burden fatigue, 3) anxiety of caregivers and 4) quality of life of children with epilepsy perceived by caregivers. The forth questionnaire was tested for content validity by experts. The second to forth questionnaires were tested for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; yielding values of 0.98, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis.

The results revealed that the mean total scores of burden fatigue, anxiety of caregivers and quality of life of children with epilepsy perceived by caregivers were at a moderate level. Eight point seven percent of the variance of the quality of life of children with epilepsy perceived by caregivers was explained by the anxiety of caregivers (R² = 0.087, p < 0.05) with regression coefficients equal to - 0.29 (p < 0.05). Burden fatigue could not predict the quality of life of children with epilepsy. The anxiety of caregivers in this study could be used as basic information to develop a program or nursing care to improve the quality of life of children with epilepsy.