Abstracts

RATIONALE: People with epilepsy continue to experience higher rates of unemployment and underemployment relative to people without epilepsy. The purpose of the present study is to further the understanding of the factors that affect employability and predict employment status among adults with epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE: At the end of this activity, participants will be able to discuss the effects of epilepsy on employment, the specific barriers to employment success, and the interventions that are most effective in addressing these barriers.
METHODS: Binary logistic regression and chi-square analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between employment status and demographic variables, including gender, age, rural versus urban dwelling, and education, and epilepsy-related variables, including seizure frequency, anti-epilepsy medication use, years since diagnosis, and seizure type.
Data for the analysis were collected from 146 adults with epilepsy, through Epilepsy Foundation chapters in Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Ohio.
RESULTS: A number of variables , including gender, number of anti-epilepsy medications used, seizure frequency, and perceived interference of seizures in daily functioning were significantly associated with employment status. Possession of a driver[ssquote]s license was also positively associated with employment status.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the effects of epilepsy on employment. The findings are important for the development of effective employment-related services and have implications for professionals working to improve the quality of life of people with epilepsy, and specifically, for addressing the barriers to employment faced by people with epilepsy. This study will be presented in the context of a series of recent studies aimed at understanding the barriers to employment and improving the employment situation for people with epilepsy.
[Supported by: University of Kentucky Research Foundation]