Aman Bansal, Anurag Chaudhary, Sangeeta Girdhar, Gagandeep Singh, Pranjl Sharma, Ashwani K Chaudhary
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background and objectives: Epilepsy, a significant neurological disorder prevalent globally, poses considerable challenges in India due to lifestyle changes, increased life expectancy, and varied healthcare access. Its prevalence in India contributes to 20% of the global burden, with notable treatment gaps and stigmatization affecting patients' quality of life and economic stability. This study aims to assess the prevalence of epilepsy and determinants of treatment gaps in rural Ludhiana.
Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study, conducted in rural Ludhiana, Punjab, involved door-to-door screening of 31,043 individuals using the Placencia 9-item questionnaire. The entire population of the field practice area was screened using a census approach. Data on sociodemographic profile, seizure history, treatment gap, clinical and treatment-related factors, and medical history were included. Institutional ethics approval and informed consent from participants were obtained.
Results: Of the 31,043 individuals screened, 195 were identified as screen positive for epilepsy, and 61 (32.6%) had active epilepsy. The lifetime prevalence of epilepsy was 2.5 per 1,000 individuals, and the prevalence of active epilepsy was 1.96 per 1,000 individuals. A bimodal age distribution of epilepsy was noted, with the highest lifetime prevalence among people aged ≥80 years. A significant treatment gap was observed, with 49.2% of individuals with active epilepsy not receiving appropriate treatment, influenced by factors such as age, gender, education, marital status, and socioeconomic status.
Conclusions: The study underscores the significant prevalence and treatment gap of epilepsy in rural Ludhiana, highlighting the need for improved awareness, targeted healthcare strategies, and rehabilitation efforts. Strengthening counseling services at the primary healthcare level may substantially improve treatment adherence. A multifaceted approach is required considering socioeconomic, educational, and cultural factors.
期刊介绍：
The journal has a clinical foundation and has been utilized most by clinical neurologists for improving the practice of neurology. While the focus is on neurology in India, the journal publishes manuscripts of high value from all parts of the world. Journal publishes reviews of various types, original articles, short communications, interesting images and case reports. The journal respects the scientific submission of its authors and believes in following an expeditious double-blind peer review process and endeavors to complete the review process within scheduled time frame. A significant effort from the author and the journal perhaps enables to strike an equilibrium to meet the professional expectations of the peers in the world of scientific publication. AIAN believes in safeguarding the privacy rights of human subjects. In order to comply with it, the journal instructs all authors when uploading the manuscript to also add the ethical clearance (human/animals)/ informed consent of subject in the manuscript. This applies to the study/case report that involves animal/human subjects/human specimens e.g. extracted tooth part/soft tissue for biopsy/in vitro analysis.
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