Quality of life of people with epilepsy at a tertiary referral centre in Goma, DRC

Purpose: This study aims to determine the quality of life (QOL) related to the health of people with epilepsy (PWE) followed in ambulatory care at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Center in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Methods: A total of 302 adults with epilepsy followed in ambulatory care at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Center in Goma were interviewed in this cross-sectional study. The QOL was measured using a validated French-language version of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 inventory (QOLIE-31). Results: The mean age was 28.4±11.0 years and 56.9% were males. The mean total QOLIE-31 score was 47.7±11.0. The highest subscale score was overall QOL with a mean of 57.5±15.0 and the lowest was medication effects with 39.7±27.5. Unemployment, presence of seizures, tobacco use, and co-morbidities (medical or psychiatric) significantly affected QOL (p < 0.05). All QOL subscales showed a significant correlation with seizure frequency, except for medication effects. Conclusion: Worrying about seizures had the major contribution to QOL, while the medication effects had the least. This study confirms the importance of seizure control for better QOL in Congolese PWE.