Physical exercise habits in people with epilepsy: A survey from Brazilian population

Abstract

This survey evaluated the Brazilian population’s physical exercise habits and compared them with those from two decades ago. In this cross-sectional study, 432 people with epilepsy (PWE) assessed the questionnaire. Of these, 387 (age: 33 ± 10.58, 81.4 % women) completed the questionnaire. Among them, 60.5 % were involved in regular physical activities. Among those who exercise regularly, the majority (96.5 %) exercised between 2 and 5 times weekly and had been physically active for at least two years. Only 23.3 % were prohibited by their doctors from participating in physical activities. Only 10 % reported that seizures occur during exercise, and about half of them (55.8 %) believed that exercise improves or has no effect on seizure frequency. Most (79.06 %) did not or rarely believe exercise can trigger seizures. More than half (57.3 %) were not afraid to have seizures during exercise or were not afraid of injury during exercise due to a seizure (69 %). Most believed exercise improves cognition (80.9 %), depression, and anxiety (93.8 %). We visited this scenario two decades early. In our previous study, only 15 % exercised regularly, while in this survey, 58.4 % routinely exercised. Our findings also align with our initial survey, indicating a low seizure frequency during regular exercise, a belief that physical activity reduces seizure frequency, and a reduction in the fear that exercise might trigger seizures. In conclusion, our results show that after two decades, there have been several improvements in physical and sports activity participation among PWE. Implementing strategies to reduce barriers to exercise for PWE and educating them on the benefits of physical activity can help improve this scenario.