Family Management Style Improves Family Quality of Life in Children With Epilepsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a common chronic disease with transient brain dysfunction and critically influences the quality of patients' family life. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of family management style on family quality of life in children. METHODS: We randomized 130 children to either the intervention group (n = 65) or the control group (n = 65). Family management style combined with routine care was applied in the intervention group within the first 24 hours after admission, whereas only routine care was applied in the control group. Family management style contains 3 steps: involve families into the intervention group and determine treatment plan, educate parents on how to manage their family, and monitor quality of home management. Scores on the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (FQOL) of 2 groups were collected at 3 time points: within the first 24 hours after admission (T1), 6 months after discharge (T2), and 12 months after discharge (T3). Repeated-measures analysis of variance of FQOL scores was used to evaluate difference. RESULTS: Full scores and each subscale's scores on FQOL in the control group and the intervention group at T1 had no statistical significance ( P > .05). Scores on FQOL at T2 and T3 increased in the intervention group, but there was almost no change in the control group, with statistical significance between the intervention group and the control group ( P < .05). Scores on FQOL at T1, T2, and T3 showed that score of subscale except parenting FQOL improved in the intervention group ( P < .05), but no difference was shown in the control group ( P > .05). There was no difference shown among the control group and the intervention group that interacted with time ( P > .05) . CONCLUSION: The family management style can effectively improve the family quality of life in children with epilepsy, especially at the satisfaction level of family emotional well-being and disability-related support.