Prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in low-income rural Midwestern counties

•Significant gaps exist in knowledge about childhood epilepsy in rural populations.•We assessed pediatric epilepsy prevalence in nine low-income rural US counties.•Cases were primarily identified through medical records and community agencies.•The prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.0/1000.

Epilepsy is one of the most common disabling neurological disorders, but significant gaps exist in our knowledge about childhood epilepsy in rural populations. The present study assessed the prevalence of pediatric epilepsy in nine low-income rural counties in the Midwestern United States overall and by gender, age, etiology, seizure type, and syndrome. Multiple sources of case identification were used, including medical records, schools, community agencies, and family interviews. The prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.0/1000. Prevalence was 5.1/1000 in males and 5.0/1000 in females. Differences by age group and gender were not statistically significant. Future research should focus on methods of increasing study participation in rural communities, particularly those in which research studies are rare.