Determinants of Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents (6-19years) in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kanpur

Background Epilepsy is the commonest neurological public health problem in children and adolescents. Very few studies have been conducted on the determinants of epilepsy in India. Objective This study was carried out to study the determinants of epilepsy children and adolescents (6–19 years) attending OPD in the Department of Pediatrics, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the outpatient of the department of Pediatrics, GSVM Medical College, and Kanpur. All children 6 to 19 years of age, attending the OPD from October 2016 to March 2017 meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to record history, clinical examination, and investigations. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Chi-Square test and descriptive statistics were applied. Results Of the 1232 subjects screened, 59(4.7%) were found to be suffering from epilepsy. Around 59.3% of those with epilepsy were males, which was significantly higher than 48.8% males among those without epilepsy. Among those with epilepsy, 62.7% had a positive family history of epilepsy which was significantly higher than among those without epilepsy (34.4%). Among those with epilepsy, 57.6% study subjects were born out of consanguinous marriages which was higher than among those without epilepsy(37.3%) and this difference was statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, gender, consanguinity and family history of epilepsy were significantly associated with epilepsy. Conclusion Epilepsy among children and adolescents (6–19 years) wasmore common in males as compared to females. Consanguinity and positive family history of epilepsy wereassociated risk factors.