Prevalence of self-reported epilepsy in a multiracial and multiethnic community in New York City

Kelvin, Elizabeth A.; Hesdorffer, Dale C.; Bagiella, Emilia; Andrews, Howard; Pedley, Timothy A.; Shih, Tina T.; Leary, Linda; Thurman, David J.; Hauser, W. Allen.

doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2007.09.012

« Previous Next »Epilepsy Research
Volume 77, Issue 2 , Pages 141-150, December 2007

Prevalence of self-reported epilepsy in a multiracial and multiethnic community in New York City

Elizabeth A. Kelvin
- G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
Dale C. Hesdorffer
- G.H. Sergievsky Center & Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Fax: +1 212 305 2426.
Emilia Bagiella
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Fax: +1 212 305 9408.
Howard Andrews
- Data Coordinating Center at the New York State Psychiatric Institute & Department of Biostatistics at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Fax: +1 212 543 5684.
Timothy A. Pedley
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Fax: +1 212 305 6978.
Tina T. Shih
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0138, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Fax: +1 415 353 2837.
Linda Leary
- UCB, Inc., Department of Medical Affairs, 1950 Lake Park Drive, Smyrna, GA 30080, USA
- Fax: +1 212 260 2571.
David J. Thurman
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Mailstop K51, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Fax: +1 770 488 5486.
W. Allen. Hauser
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center & Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Neurology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Fax: +1 212 305 2426.
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 212 305 2447; fax: +1 212 305 2426.

Received 31 May 2007; received in revised form 28 August 2007; accepted 23 September 2007.

Summary

Purpose

To estimate the prevalence of epilepsy in a racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood in New York City.

Methods

We used random-digit dialing to identify people with a history of epilepsy. We estimated the prevalence of active epilepsy and lifetime epilepsy.

Results

The age-adjusted prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.0 per 1000, and that of lifetime epilepsy was 5.9 per 1000. Prevalence appeared higher in Hispanics (active prevalence: 6.3 per 1000; lifetime prevalence: 7.5 per 1000) than in non-Hispanics (active prevalence: 4.1 per 1000; lifetime prevalence: 4.7 per 1000). Blacks appeared to have a lower prevalence of active epilepsy (5.2 per 1000) than whites (5.9 per 1000), but a higher lifetime prevalence (7.5 per 1000 vs. 5.9 per 1000). Ethnic and racial differences in access to epilepsy care were evident both in terms of drug treatment and use of emergency departments for care.

Conclusions

The prevalence of epilepsy in this predominantly minority urban community is similar to that reported in other contemporary studies. Less access to health care for black and Hispanic respondents, compared with white respondents, may have influenced self-reported active epilepsy prevalence estimates since the definition includes recent use of antiseizure medication.

Keywords: Epilepsy, Seizure, Prevalence, Minorities, Health disparities, New York