Abstract

Objective: This study assessed quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of individuals with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia and identified its key determinants.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2024 among Saudi adults aged ≥18 years. The validated Arabic World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief questionnaire was administered online, capturing sociodemographic, anthropometric, and epilepsy-related variables.
Results: A total of 850 participants were enrolled (mean age: 28 ± 10 years; 58.2% female). Family history of epilepsy was presented in 11.8%, and 2.6% were caregivers of a child with epilepsy. The mean overall QoL score was 71 ± 22, with the lowest scores in the psychological (63 ± 17) and environmental (63 ± 22) domains. Male sex (β = 5.34, 95% CI: 1.97-8.70, p = 0.002), older age (β = 0.27, p = 0.013), and higher income (β = 5.52, p = 0.005) were associated with better QoL. Conversely, caregiving for a child with epilepsy (β = -11.42, 95% CI: -17.65 to -5.20, p < 0.001), family history of epilepsy (β = -5.13, p = 0.044), chronic disease (β = -4.33, p = 0.031), and higher BMI (β = -0.35, p = 0.013) predicted poorer QoL. Caregivers in the Eastern and Western regions reported better environmental QoL.
Conclusion: Caregivers of individuals with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia experience moderate QoL, with the greatest burden among caregivers of affected children and those with comorbid illness. Equitable epilepsy services, targeted financial support, and integrated caregiver assessments are needed.

Key words: Epilepsy, caregiver, quality of life, WHOQOL-BREF, Saudi Arabia, cross-sectional study