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. 2023 Dec:149:109491.
doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109491. Epub 2023 Nov 9.

A single-center survey on physical activity barriers, behaviors and preferences in adults with epilepsy

Halley B Alexander  1 , Madison Arnel  2 , Nathaniel O'Connell  3 , Heidi M Munger Clary  2 , Jason Fanning  4 , Peter Brubaker  4 , Nathan B Fountain  5 , Pamela Duncan  2
Affiliations

A single-center survey on physical activity barriers, behaviors and preferences in adults with epilepsy

Halley B Alexander et al. Epilepsy Behav. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Improved understanding of physical activity barriersand preferences in people with epilepsyis needed to successfully design and perform larger, more robust effectivenesstrials.

Methods: Adult patients at a single tertiary epilepsy center between January and April 2020 were surveyed. The survey included a validated physical activity questionnaire (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly) plus 15 items aimed to address 1) perceptions and beliefs regarding physical activity, 2) barriers to routine physical activity, and 3) willingness and ability to participate in a physical activity intervention and 4) current physical abilities, activities, and preferences.

Results: 95 participants with epilepsy (age 42 ± 16.2, 59 % female) completed the survey. Sixty-five participants (68.4 %) reported that they believe that physical activity could improve their seizure frequency. However, 40 % of those surveyed said their neurologist had never talked to them about physical activity. The most commonly reported barriers to physical activity were lack of time (24.7 %) and fear of having a seizure (19.7 %), while barriers to intervention participation included being unable to come to in-person sessions (53 % of those willing to participate),living far away (39.3 %), time constraints (28.6 %), and lack of transportation (21.4 %).

Conclusion: Future physical activity studies in people with epilepsy should focus on using tailored interventions that accommodate their unique beliefs and barriers.

Keywords: Behavioral intervention; Exercise; Implementation; Seizures.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest Halley B. Alexander receives compensation from the American Academy of Neurology for her position as Deputy Editor of the Neurology Minute podcast and is funded by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Grant #KL2TR001421. Heidi Munger Clary receives support as a Topic Editor for DynaMed and research support from Eysz, Inc., National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, The Duke Endowment, and the Suzanne Marcus Collins Foundation. Nathan B. Fountain serves on the board of directors and has stock for Acumen Pharmaceuticals and Hexokine Therapeutics. He receives support from Equilibre, Xenon, Medtronic, Cerebral Therapeutics, and InSightec. Jason Fanning is partially supported by the Wake Forest University Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (P30-AG21332).

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Percent of participants who selected each barrier (n=81) in response to the question “What are some of your barriers to exercising routinely? Check all that apply.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Number of participants who selected each activity (n=94) in response to the question “What type of exercise do you like to do? Check all that apply.”
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Percent of participants who selected each barrier of those who stated that they would NOT participate in an exercise/physical activity intervention if one was offered to them for free (n=28). Participants were allowed to select all that apply.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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