Background and Objectives: Epilepsy is a very common pediatric neurologic disorder, and the mainstay of treatment is the use of anti-seizure medication. Several factors may cause inadequate adherence leading to uncontrolled seizures, lower quality of life, and neurodevelopmental consequences. This study aimed to determine medication adherence of adolescents with epilepsy and identify factors that may be associated in medication adherence. Methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional study involving adolescents with epilepsy. A self-reported survey was used to measure adherence. Data on demographics and epilepsy were then assessed for presence of association with adherence. Results: Fifty-one participants were included. Of these, 19.6% were non-adherent, 35.3% had medium adherence, and 45.1% had high adherence. Simple logistic regression analysis showed that unemployed primary caregiver is associated with 7.0 times higher odds of having moderate-high adherence and consuming at least three drugs is associated with 0.3 lower odds of having moderate-high adherence. Conclusion As high as 80.4% of adolescents were adherent to their medications. The presence of a caregiver who can closely monitor the patient is associated with adherence while intake of several drugs is associated with nonadherence. Future studies may need larger sample size and explore knowledge, attitude, and other social factors that may influence medication adherence.
adolescents ; epilepsy

Objective. We aim to study the prevalence and risk factors of hypovitaminosis D among healthy adolescents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan based on the most recent Paediatric Consensus guideline. Methodology. Ten public schools were selected from Kota Bharu, Kelantan. We analysed their demography (age, gender, ethnicity, income), measured their anthropometry (height, weight, BMI) and finally analysed their vitamin D and intact- Parathyroid hormone levels. Results. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was 16.9% among healthy teenagers with mean age of 15.9±1.39 years. Multivariate analysis showed female gender (adjusted OR, 95% CI): 23.7 (5.64, 100.3) and Chinese 0.24 (0.07, 0.84) were the significant predictors for hypovitaminosis D. Conclusion. The prevalence of healthy adolescents with hypovitaminosis D in Kota Bharu, Kelantan was 16.9% using the most recent cut off value of 30 nmol/L from the global consensus 2016. Female and Malay were the significant risk factors associated with hypovitaminosis D. Higher cut off value would result in overestimation of prevalence rate of hypovitaminosis D.
Vitamin D Deficiency ; Rickets ; adolescents

Worldwide prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents increased substantially over decades. Addressing potential risk factors of obesity among adolescents is very important for a successful intervention program in this population. The present study aimed to identify the sociodemographic determinants of obesity among school adolescents in Terengganu. A cross-sectional survey involving 3,798 school adolescents age 12 years old from 136 government primary schools in Kuala Terengganu and Besut districts were carried out from November 2014 to June 2015. For the purpose of this paper, the data for 2,842 school adolescents classified as either normal BMI (< +1SD) (n= 2,305) or obese (+2SD) (n= 537) based on WHO cut-off points were taken for analysis. Sociodemographic information on subjects and their parents were obtained from self-reported questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were conducted by Physical Education teachers and uploaded into a specific developed database. The prevalence of obesity was relatively high in both genders in this study. Binary logistic regression analysis found gender, parental BMI, household income, household size and maternal working status were independently associated with obesity among school adolescents in this population. In the final model, being male, having working mother, and having obese parents were identified to be potential risk factors for obesity whilst having large household size lower the risk of obesity among these adolescents. Prevention programs are needed to increase awareness about the risk factors of obesity in adolescent and interventions should now focus on family member as well mainly the parents.
Sociodemographic ; obesity ; school adolescents ; Terengganu ; Malaysia

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has been documented as a frequent problem in almost every region of the world even in the tropical countries and its health consequences are enormous. Infancy and adolescence are age groups particularly at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. However, there are no data on the Vitamin D status of Filipino adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in Filipino high school students in selected schools in Quezon City

METHODS: A cross-sectional study of Filipino high school students was undertaken. A total of 97 boys and girls aged 11- 18 years old, attending selected private and public secondary schools in Quezon City participated in the study after parents' consent and students' assent were taken. Serum 25(OH)D levels were determined by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) using Roche HITACHI Cobas e immunoassay analyzer.

RESULTS: The total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of the students ranged from 19.92 nmol/L to 88.63 nmol/L with a mean of 52.43 nmol/L. Among the 97 high school students, there was a prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (serum 25 (OH)D <50nmol/L) of 41.2% with 20.6% having deficient (

CONCLUSION: Hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent among Filipino adolescents in secondary school despite abundance of sunlight. Appropriate interventions are needed to address the problem of poor vitamin D status in schoolchildren.

Human ; Filipino, Adolescents ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Philippines

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic disorder complicated by neurobehavioral comorbidities, including affective disorders, which adversely affect quality of life. There is increasing prevalence of these disorders in children especially in adolescents, however, the need for mental health care often remains unmet.

OBJECTIVES: The study determined the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression in adolescents with epilepsy and the association of these disorders with sociodemographic variables and seizure-related factors such as age of onset, duration of epilepsy, seizure frequency, electroencephalogram/neuroimaging abnormalities, type of epilepsy including epilepsy syndromes and drug treatment.

METHODOLOGY: This is an analytical, cross-sectional study. All adolescent patients with epilepsy seen at OPD who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were screened using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)/ Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Pilipino (HADS-P). Charts of the patients at the Neurology section (Pay and Charity service) were reviewed. Epilepsy-related and sociodemographic variables in association with anxiety and depression were determined and analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 145 adolescent patients were included in the study. There was a 17.4% prevalence of anxiety and 3.4% prevalence of depression in this study population according to the screening tool. However, a confirmatory diagnosis was not done in some patients. There was no significant factor associated with occurrence of anxiety. Factors that were highly associated with depression were a psychiatric illness in the first-degree relative, frequent seizures at onset, no anti-epileptic drug use, and monotherapy at the time of the study. Presence of anxiety also increased the odds of having depression.

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS: Affective disorders are common in adolescents with epilepsy and factors related to their occurrence must be anticipated. Hence, the need to screen the patients for psychiatric symptoms early and regularly.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent (a Person 13-18 Years Of Age) ; Epilepsy ; Depression ; Anxiety Disorders ; Adolescents