Investigation On The Epidemiology Of Epilepsy In Shandong Province

ObjectiveEpilepsy is a chronic disease of the nervous system, that not only cause alot of harm to the patient’s physical and mental health, but also give hugeburdens on family and society. To ascertain the epidemiological chracteristics ofepilepsy in Shandong province and to assist in planning health services forpeople with epilepsy in this ethnic minority, the investigation of epilepsy inShangdong province was done.MethodsThe whole study,which surveyed on epilepsy in Shangdong province, usedthe method of stratified random cluster sampling and door-to-door survey. Theinvestigation of epilepsy which was based on the WHO questionnaire andICBERG screening questionnaire used in China, was carefully designed by theexpert team. This investigation included the questionnaire of informed consent,the questionnaire of the base, the questionnaire of patients with epilepsy. Thequestionnaires of patients, including information about diseases in patients withepilepsy, epilepsy treatment history and recently treatment, were separated into2parts and contained28questions. Survey covered the life-time prevalence,incidence, the age of first seizure occurrence, the type of epilepsy, causes, thesituations of epilepsy family and the treatment of patients.ResultsA total of251492people were investigated and335people were diagnosedas epilepsy, with the life-time prevalence of epilepsy was1.33‰(1.35‰formales,1.31‰for females,no difference found between males andfemales,P>0.05;1.39‰for rural areas,1.20‰for urban, no difference foundbetween rural areas and urban,P>0.05). In the17cities, the city of the highestprevalence was Laiwu, with the rate of2.14‰; the lowest was Yantai, with0.82 per thousand, no statistically significant differences were showed between thetwo areas. The incidence of epilepsy was18.69/100000per year. Of all theattack types, generalized seizure was60.90%in total, partial seizures accountwas34.33%, unclassifiable attacks account for4.77%. The average age of firstseizure occurrence was15.37±15.77years old. Among those patients,60.90%were diagnosed as idiopathic epilepsy and39.10%as symptomatic epilepsy.Most of the people have not got regular treatment, the treatment gap was54%.Patients have high expectations to the treatment,63.87%of the patients want tobe cured.Conclusions1. Prevalence of epilepsy in Shandong is1.33‰. Incidence of epilepsy is18.69/100000. Epileptic seizure type is given priority to with generalizedseizure. Epilepsy is given priority to with idiopathic epilepsy. The cause ofsymptomatic epilepsy is given priority to with encephalitis.2. The age of first seizure occurrence is childhood. Epilepsy treatment gapis54%.