Physical Functioning of Epileptic Children

Abstract

Introduction. Epilepsy belongs to the most frequently occurring nervous conditions. Depending on the course of
the disease and on the support provided to the child from his/her closest family, the child’s physical, mental and social functioning differs.
Aim. The aim of this paper is the physical functioning of epileptic children in the opinion of their parents.
Material and Methods. The study was performed on 94 children with diagnosed epilepsy, treated in the Department
of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences. A proprietary polling questionnaire as well as a parent-targeted QOLCE (Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire) served as the measure; consequently, parents or carers to the children within the study were also included as participants.
Results. The studied children were rarely left unmanned during play, and they never spent a night out. In the assessment of the physical functioning performed by fathers and mothers, a statistically significant difference (p≤0.05)
was observed; children function better in this section according to mothers. The parents’/carers’ education as well as
the child’s educational facility is a statistically significant (p≤0.05) factor influencing physical functioning of a child.
No significant difference was noted between the child’s area of residence (p≥0.05) and age (p≥0.05) and his/her
physical functioning.
Conclusions. The majority of the studied children attended a school or a kindergarten. Epilepsy significantly limits
children when it comes to their physical functioning. Among factors influencing the level of a child’s physical functioning, parents’ education and child’s educational facility present themselves as the most relevant. (JNNN 2015;
4(4):146–151)