Prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in low-income rural Midwestern counties

Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free).Epilepsy is one of the most common disabling neurological disorders, but significant gaps exist in our knowledge about childhood epilepsy in rural populations. The present study assessed the prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in nine low-income rural counties in the Midwestern United States overall and by gender, age, etiology, seizure type, and syndrome. Multiple sources of case identification were used, including medical records, schools, community agencies, and family interviews. The prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.0/1000. Prevalence was 5.1/1000 in males and 5.0/1000 in females. Differences by age group and gender were not statistically significant. Future research should focus on methods of increasing study participation in rural communities, particularly those in which research studies are rare.The study team would like to acknowledge the support and funding provided by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD RTOI 2008-01-01) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) for this cooperative agreement grant