Self-reported exercise engagement and seizure control – A preliminary survey of people with epilepsy at a safety-net hospital

Benefits of exercise on general health and wellbeing are undeniable. The International League Against Epilepsy has provided some guidance into exercise and sports for epilepsy. However, people with epilepsy are typically misinformed and restricted by fear and lack of evidence about exercise benefits in epilepsy. Our study seeks to investigate engagement in exercise in epilepsy at our center and identify potential barriers to physical activity. We conducted an anonymous survey at the Epilepsy Clinic using a clinically validated measure of exercise (IPAQ) at various levels: vigorous, moderate, and walking, and a questionnaire of 21 potential reasons for inactivity. Data were collected in REDCap. Statistical analysis was performed on SAS. We collected responses from 72 epilepsy participants between January and April 2024. Participants with controlled seizures were more likely to engage in moderate exercise compared to respondents with uncontrolled seizures. The top two general perceived barriers were having no one to exercise with and not liking exercise. Epilepsy-specific barriers were higher in respondents with uncontrolled seizures compared to those with controlled seizures, with the top two reasons being fear of “exercise-induced” seizures and lack of guidance on appropriate exercises. Our findings showed that there were more participants with controlled seizures who perform moderate exercise compared to those with uncontrolled seizures. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether exercise can have an impact on improving seizure control. Our study also highlights opportunities to educate health care providers, patients, and community members about exercise to facilitate engagement in exercise and improve epilepsy outcomes.