DRIVING AND EPILEPSY: EXPERIENCE FROM TAIF CITY-SAUDI ARABIA

Background: As driving is a complex motor cognitive issue, it requires that drivers possess coordination, attention, judgment as well as skill. Unfortunately, themajority of epileptic patients in Saudi Arabia have driving licenses and drive their cars thus, they are more vulnerable to therisks of motor vehicle accidents.

Objective: To estimate the rate of car driving and define the reasons for driving among epileptic patients.

Patients and Methods: A telephone interview cross-sectional study was carried out among a sample of adult epileptic patients registered at the Neurology Clinicat Alhada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif City, throughout the period January 1^st, 2021 and May 31^st, 2024 and fulfilling that they were diagnosed with epilepsy forat least 6 months. Data were collected through a questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics of the patients, epilepsy-related characteristics and details of driving history.

Results: A total of 110 epileptic patients participated in the study. Most of them (62.7%) were females. Patients aged between 18 and 30 years accounted for 41.9% of the participants. Approximately, a quarter of patients (24.7%) reported a history of driving a car. Out of them, 92.6% had driving licenses, and 11.1% were prevented by police from driving because of their health status. The most frequently reported reason for driving, despite their health status, was the absence of suitable transportation at a percentage of (55.6%), followed by a lack of community support (22%) and family support(14.8%). Logistic regression analysis showed that as compared to males, female patients were less likely to drive (aOR=0.06 95% CI: 0.01-0.21, p<0.001). Considering illiterate patients as a reference category, patients with a secondary school level of education were more likely to drive a car (aOR=13.02 95% CI: 1.04-162.15, p=0.046). As opposed to unemployedpatients, employed patients were more likely to drive (aOR=9.30 95% CI: 1.86-46.49, p=0.007).

Conclusion: A considerable proportion of epileptic patients reported a history of driving a car and hadadriving license. A small proportion of those patients have been restricted from driving by police. The main reasons for driving, despite health status among epileptic patients, were theabsence of suitable transportationand lack of community as well as family support.