Estimation of the prevalence of epilepsy in the Benin region of Zinvié using the capture-recapture method.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of epilepsy was estimated in two villages of 3134 inhabitants, in Benin, in April and May 1997 using the capture-recapture method.


METHODS
Information was obtained from (i) a door-to-door cross-sectional study, (ii) a non-medical source consisting of key informants (traditional practitioners, teachers, village leaders, and religious representatives) and (iii) a medical source through evaluation of medical records in health centres. In all the three situations, the diagnosis of epilepsy was confirmed by a neurologist.


RESULTS
The door-to-door survey found 50 epileptics, i.e. a prevalence of 15.9 per 1000. The non-medical source found 26 patients. The medical source found only four patients. In total, 66 epileptics were found by combining the three sources, giving a prevalence of 21.1 per 1000. After application of the capture-recapture method, the estimated number of cases from the door-to-door survey and non-medical source was 105, and 110 cases when the medical source was considered as well. The respective prevalences were 33.5 per 1000, and 35.1 per 1000.


CONCLUSIONS
The door-to-door survey has been usefully improved by using key informants. The epilepsy prevalence estimate found by capture-recapture is clearly higher than that found by traditional cross-sectional methods, and could better depict the frequency of epilepsy in Africa.
Debrock
C
C
Institute of Neurological Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, France.
Preux
P M
PM
Houinato
D
D
Druet-Cabanac
M
M
Kassa
F
F
Adjien
C
C
Avode
G
G
Denis
F
F
Boutros-Toni
F
F
Dumas
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population