Factors Associated with Poor Compliance of Antiepileptic Drugs in Children with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures resulting from abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. Objectives: To determine the factors associated with poor compliance with antiepileptic drugs in children with epilepsy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Outpatient Department of Neurology of the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2025 to June 2025. A total of 185 children aged 1–12 years with epilepsy, diagnosed ≥6 months earlier, were recruited by non-probability consecutive sampling. Compliance with antiepileptic drugs was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), classifying scores ≥6 as compliant. Factors behind non-compliance were noted. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26 with chi-square and binary logistic regression applied, taking p