Magnitude and factors associated with nonadherence to antiepileptic drug treatment in Africa: A cross-sectional multisite study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The epilepsy treatment gap is large in low- and middle-income countries, but the reasons behind nonadherence to treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) across African countries remain unclear. We investigated the extent to which AEDs are not taken and associated factors in people with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) identified in cross-sectional studies conducted in five African countries.

Methods

We approached 2,192 people with a confirmed diagnosis of ACE for consent to give blood voluntarily. Participants were asked if they were taking AEDs, and plasma drug concentrations were measured using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay analyzer. Information about possible risk factors was collected using questionnaire-based clinical interviews. We determined fact

SUBMITTER: Ibinda F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5719857 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature