OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence of epilepsy in Jinshan--a rural area of Shanghai and to provide data for development of protocol on prevention and therapy of epilepsy.

METHODSStratified cluster sampling was used in Zhujing town, Jinshan district, Shanghai in 2000. In a door to door survey, all inhabitants in the study area were interviewed on seizures using a standardized protocol to include all new cases with epilepsy.

RESULTSThe crude prevalence of epilepsy was 3.11 per thousand among the population size of 48,628 and the adjusted prevalence was 3.62 per thousand with 3.65 per thousand in male and 2.50 per thousand in female. The prevalence rates of males were more than that of females in both places. Two peaks of epilepsy prevalence in Jinshan district Shanghai were noticed: in the age groups of 10 - 30 years old and older than 60 years. The highest prevalence appeared in rural area was 3.70 per thousand, much higher than that 2.45 per thousand in town.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of epilepsy in this district was lower than that in other districts of China.