Beliefs about medication, medication adherence and seizure control among adult epilepsy patients in Kimberley, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Patients with epilepsy regularly present to the Kimberley Hospital Complex’s emergency department and are managed and discharged but within a short period present again to casualty with seizures. This study aimed to explore whether beliefs about medication have any relationship with treatment adherence and seizure control among adult patients with epilepsy attending the hospital and clinics in Kimberley.

Methods: In this descriptive observational study, participants included patients presenting to casualty with seizures, and epileptic patients collecting their antiepileptic drugs. Participants completed a questionnaire that included the Morisky eight- item medication adherence scale and Belief about Medication Questionnaire.

Results: The majority of the 197 participants were male (61.9%), unemployed (84.3%), and reporting two or more seizures annually (67.0%). The age range was between 19 and 68 years (mean age 40 years). High adherence was reported by 107 (54.6%) participants. The relationship between adherence and seizure control was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant correlation between medication concerns and harm, and adherence but no correlation between medication overuse and adherence.

Conclusion: Patients’ beliefs about medications can influence their adherence; beliefs about medication did not influence the control of the patient’s seizures. Patients’ medication adherence did influence the seizure control in this sample.