Effect of Educational Intervention on Improvement of Quality of Life for Children with Epilepsy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 , Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Benha University

2 I Professor of Pediatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University,

3 Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University,

4 Assistant Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Benha University,

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of a number of neurological disorders that affect quality of life. Nursing intervention of these children is crucial to maintaining their life and improving their quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study was improve the quality of life for children with epilepsy, through, identifying children & mother's knowledge and practice regarding epilepsy, identifying factors affecting on quality of life for epileptic child, designing and implementing a health educational intervention for mothers to improve quality of life for their children with epilepsy and evaluating the effect of educational intervention on mothers' knowledge and practice to improve quality of life of children with epilepsy. The research hypothesis     Mothers after attending the educational intervention will show improvement on their children's quality of life. Setting, the study was conducted at the Student School Health Insurance in Benha. Sample, it involved all children with epilepsy (100) from both sexes, aged 6-15 year and their accompanying mothers recruited for the conduction of the study. The tools of data collection were 1) mothers and child assessment sheet 2) Epilepsy quality of life scale, 3) practice assessment sheet and 4) an educational program. The results showed significant improvement in mothers' knowledge and practice regarding caring for their children with epilepsy, also slightly improvement in children's quality of life after program implementation. The study concluded that a success in improving the mothers' knowledge and practice regarding epilepsy. After three months of implementation the program the mothers' knowledge and practice was decline but still higher than before the program regarding all items of knowledge and practice, improving in all items of quality of life after 3 month of  program implementation.  The study recommended enhancing child's quality of life through periodical educational program and follow-up and regular educational programs at the out patient clinics about epilepsy and how to deal with epileptic child.