Association between Adverse Effects and Parental Beliefs about Antiepileptic Medicines

Abstract

Background and Aim: Adverse effects are common in children treated with antiepileptic medications and may affect parental beliefs about treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between adverse effects and parental beliefs about antiepileptic drugs used for the treatment of their children. Methods: The study was performed at the University Children’s Hospital, Belgrade, Serbia from 2013–2015. Parents of children treated with valproic acid, carbamazepine or lamotrigine, were eligible. They were asked to fill in the Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire (BMQ) and The Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (LAEP). Results: Parents of 127 children (average age 9.88 ± 4.16 years) of whom 111 had epilepsy (67 generalized, 44 focal) and 16 with febrile seizures participated in the study. Nervousness and/or agitation, weight gain, restlessness, headache, difficulty in concentrating, feeling of aggression and upset stomach were most frequent adverse effects, reported in 37% of the population. BMQ-specific necessity scores significantly correlated with parental education; parents with elementary school showed lower scores than those with higher education. The presence of difficulty in concentrating of their child was associated with higher BMQ concern scores (20.73 ± 4.25 vs. 18.99 ± 3.60, p = 0.043) as well as necessity scores (18.42 ± 3.31 vs. 16.40 ± 2.73, p = 0.017). Higher scores of BMQ-general overuse were reported in the presence of a headache (8.79 ± 2.81 vs. 7.64 ± 2.72, p = 0.027). Conclusions: The main finding of our study is that parental beliefs about antiepileptic drugs were associated with the presence of adverse effects. Understanding this relationship could allow physicians and pharmacists to structure better educational programs for parents of children treated with antiepileptic drugs. Education should be more focused towards understanding the adverse effects of antiepileptics which could alleviate parental concerns and strengthen their beliefs about the necessity of medication use in their children.

Comparison of 25-hydroxy vitamin D serum levels among children with epilepsy in therapy with single versus multiple antiseizure medications

“…In this study, most of the mother’s education was at the high school level. High parental education has been reported as an independent predictor of good epilepsy knowledge [15] . Based on the study’s results, there was no difference in the maternal education level between both groups.…”

“…Based on the study’s results, there was no difference in the maternal education level between both groups. Research by Ilic [15] indicates that high parental education influences beliefs about the use of epilepsy medication.…”

“…Height growth is a complex process of chondrocyte proliferation, chondrocyte hypertrophy, and the endochondral ossification of bone growth plates, all of which are influenced by various factors, including vitamin D [13] . Research has found maternal education is associated with parents’ knowledge and beliefs about their children’s medication [14] , [15] .…”