TABLE. Number and age-adjusted* prevalence of active epilepsy, and percentages of adults who accessed specialty care, took epilepsy medications for seizure control, and were seizure-free with epilepsy medication in the past year among doctor-diagnosed active epilepsy,† by selected characteristics — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2013 and 2015.
| Characteristic | Adults with active epilepsy |
Seen a neurologist or epilepsy specialist |
Taking epilepsy medication to control seizure |
Seizure-free with epilepsy medication |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | No. (weighted)§ | Age-adjusted % (95% CI) | No. | No. (weighted)§ | Age-adjusted % (95% CI) | No. | No. (weighted)§ | Age-adjusted % (95% CI) | No. | No. (weighted)§ | Age-adjusted % (95% CI) | |
|
Survey year
| ||||||||||||
| 2013 |
367 |
2,254,000 |
0.9 (0.8–1.1) |
217 |
1,428,000 |
65.7 (59.1–71.8) |
305 |
1,948,000 |
86.3 (81.1–90.3) |
136 |
871,000 |
45.3 (37.3–53.6) |
| 2015 |
401 |
2,978,000 |
1.2 (1.1–1.4) |
255 |
2,032,000 |
68.3 (62.1–74.0) |
352 |
2,749,000 |
93.0 (89.8–95.3) |
152 |
1,184,000 |
42.4 (35.0–50.2) |
| Total (crude) |
768 |
2,616,000 |
1.1 (1.0–1.2) |
472 |
1,730,000 |
66.2 (61.6–70.5) |
657 |
2,348,000 |
90.2 (87.4–92.4) |
288 |
1,028,000 |
44.1 (38.7–49.7) |
| Total (age-adjusted) |
768 |
2,616,000 |
1.1 (1.0–1.2) |
472 |
1,730,000 |
67.0 (62.6–71.2) |
657 |
2,348,000 |
90.2 (87.4–92.4) |
288 |
1,028,000 |
43.7 (38.1–49.5) |
|
Sex
| ||||||||||||
| Men |
354 |
1,327,000 |
1.1 (1.0–1.3) |
224 |
919,000 |
69.7 (62.9–75.7) |
313 |
1,221,000 |
92.0 (87.5–95.0) |
146 |
538,000 |
43.7 (36.1–51.5) |
| Women |
414 |
1,289,000 |
1.0 (0.9–1.2) |
248 |
811,000 |
64.5 (58.4–70.1) |
344 |
1,128,000 |
88.3 (84.2–91.4) |
142 |
490,000 |
43.5 (35.7–51.6) |
|
Age group (yrs)
| ||||||||||||
| 18–34 |
165 |
803,000 |
1.1 (0.9–1.4) |
116 |
615,000 |
76.7 (67.8–83.7) |
136 |
721,000 |
91.0 (85.8–94.4) |
54 |
303,000 |
42.3 (30.9–54.5) |
| 35–54 |
280 |
867,000 |
1.0 (0.9–1.2) |
175 |
585,000 |
67.5 (59.9–74.2) |
235 |
768,000 |
88.6 (83.1–92.4) |
80 |
280,000 |
36.9 (28.5–46.1) |
| 55–64 |
165 |
540,000 |
1.4 (1.1–1.6) |
95 |
305,000 |
56.5 (46.5–66.1) |
144 |
483,000 |
89.4 (82.9–93.6) |
63 |
209,000 |
43.7 (33.5–54.5) |
| >65 |
158 |
404,000 |
0.9 (0.7–1.1) |
86 |
225,000 |
55.6 (45.0–65.7) |
142 |
377,000 |
93.1 (88.0–96.1) |
91 |
236,000 |
62.7 (50.7–73.3) |
|
Race/Ethnicity
| ||||||||||||
| White, non-Hispanic |
507 |
1,857,000 |
1.2 (1.0–1.3) |
306 |
1,246,000 |
67.9 (62.6–72.8) |
440 |
1,692,000 |
91.4 (88.0–93.9) |
216 |
811,000 |
47.5 (40.4–54.6) |
| Black, non-Hispanic |
136 |
401,000 |
1.4 (1.1–1.7) |
84 |
233,000 |
62.8 (50.6–73.7) |
114 |
348,000 |
88.8 (81.0–93.6) |
35 |
104,000 |
32.3 (21.5–45.3) |
| Other |
125 |
357,000 |
0.7 (0.6–0.9) |
82 |
251,000 |
70.5 (59.4–79.6) |
103 |
309,000 |
86.5 (78.8–91.8) |
37 |
113,000 |
37.3 (26.7–49.3) |
|
Marital status
| ||||||||||||
| Never married |
246 |
934,000 |
2.0 (1.6–2.3) |
165 |
691,000 |
71.0 (62.5–78.2) |
219 |
862,000 |
92.7 (87.6–95.8) |
87 |
351,000 |
44.9 (35.3–55.0) |
| Married/ Cohabitating |
255 |
1,036,000 |
0.7 (0.6–0.8) |
156 |
667,000 |
64.5 (56.4–71.9) |
218 |
932,000 |
88.3 (82.5–92.3) |
106 |
441,000 |
50.0 (41.5–58.5) |
| Divorced/ Separated/ Widowed |
266 |
641,000 |
1.7 (1.2–2.3) |
150 |
367,000 |
63.9 (53.4–73.2) |
219 |
550,000 |
85.8 (76.6–91.8) |
95 |
236,000 |
31.5 (25.3–38.4) |
|
Education level
| ||||||||||||
| Less than HS |
194 |
564,000 |
1.8 (1.5–2.2) |
104 |
310,000 |
58.7 (48.9–67.9) |
164 |
498,000 |
89.4 (82.9–93.6) |
63 |
192,000 |
39.0 (28.9–50.2) |
| HS diploma or GED |
216 |
803,000 |
1.3 (1.1–1.6) |
131 |
496,000 |
62.4 (53.5–70.5) |
190 |
733,000 |
92.5 (88.0–95.4) |
76 |
283,000 |
38.9 (30.2–48.4) |
| Some college |
348 |
1,203,000 |
0.8 (0.7–0.9) |
231 |
896,000 |
74.2 (67.8–79.8) |
294 |
1,074,000 |
89.0 (84.3–92.4) |
144 |
533,000 |
49.4 (41.3–57.6) |
|
Current employment
| ||||||||||||
| Yes |
215 |
783,000 |
0.5 (0.4–0.6) |
129 |
538,000 |
67.9 (59.4–75.5) |
183 |
709,000 |
89.6 (83.8–93.5) |
104 |
376,000 |
54.3 (44.1–64.1) |
| No |
553 |
1,833,000 |
2.5 (2.2–2.8) |
343 |
1,192,000 |
67.9 (62.6–72.7) |
474 |
1,639,000 |
90.1 (86.7–92.8) |
184 |
652,000 |
37.7 (31.0–45.1) |
|
Poverty status**
| ||||||||||||
| <200% of FPL |
481 |
1,383,000 |
1.9 (1.6–2.1) |
284 |
864,000 |
64.6 (58.4–70.4) |
402 |
1,222,000 |
88.2 (84.0–91.4) |
143 |
399,000 |
33.2 (26.6–40.4) |
| ≥200% of FPL |
287 |
1,233,000 |
0.8 (0.6–0.9) |
188 |
866,000 |
70.6 (63.4–76.9) |
255 |
1,126,000 |
92.1 (87.9–94.9) |
145 |
628,000 |
55.3 (46.7–63.6) |
|
Region
††
| ||||||||||||
| Northeast |
112 |
390,000 |
0.9 (0.7–1.2) |
82 |
316,000 |
84.3 (74.9–90.7) |
97 |
358,000 |
89.5 (79.7–94.9) |
46 |
209,000 |
60.3 (47.1–72.1) |
| Midwest |
157 |
549,000 |
1.0 (0.8–1.2) |
94 |
349,000 |
63.9 (54.8–72.2) |
136 |
491,000 |
90.1 (83.3–94.4) |
67 |
233,000 |
47.9 (36.5–59.5) |
| South |
291 |
1,096,000 |
1.2 (1.1–1.4) |
177 |
706,000 |
66.7 (59.9–72.9) |
251 |
977,000 |
90.3 (85.2–93.7) |
98 |
374,000 |
37.5 (29.3–46.3) |
| West | 208 | 580,000 | 1.0 (0.8–1.3) | 119 | 359,000 | 61.5 (51.8–70.4) | 173 | 522,000 | 89.3 (84.0–93.0) | 77 | 212,000 | 41.4 (31.0–52.5) |
Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; GED = General Educational Development; HS = high school; FPL = federal poverty level.
* Age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. projected population, aged ≥18 years, using four age groups: 18–34, 35–54, 55–64, and ≥65 years. All prevalence estimates are age-adjusted except those for age groups, and overall (crude).
† Doctor-diagnosed active epilepsy was defined as having a diagnosis of epilepsy and either taking medication or having had one or more seizures in the past year, or both.
§ Annualized and weighted number rounded to 1,000s.
¶ Other race/ethnicity includes non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native only; non-Hispanic Asian only; non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander only; and non-Hispanic multiple race.
** Poverty status was defined as the ratio of family income to FPL.
†† Northeast region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont); Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin); South region (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia); West region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).