Health behaviors among people with epilepsy—Results from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of selected health behavior—alcohol use, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and sufficient sleep—between people with and without a history of epilepsy in a large, nationally representative sample in the United States. Methods We used data from the 2010 cross-sectional National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to compare the prevalence of each health behavior for people with and without epilepsy while adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and family income. We also further categorized those with epilepsy into active epilepsy and inactive epilepsy and calculated their corresponding prevalences. Results The percentages of adults with a history of epilepsy (50.1%, 95% CI = 45.1%–55.2%) and with active epilepsy (44.4%, 95% CI = 37.6%–51.5%) who were current alcohol drinkers were significantly lower than that of those without epilepsy (65.1%, 95% CI = 64.2%–66.0%). About 21.8% (95% CI = 18.1%–25.9%) of adults with epilepsy and 19.3% (95% CI = 18.7%–19.9%) of adults without epilepsy were current smokers. Adults with active epilepsy were significantly less likely than adults without epilepsy to report following recommended physical activity guidelines for Americans (35.2%, 95% CI = 28.8%–42.1% vs. 46.3%, 95% CI = 45.4%–47.2%) and to report walking for at least ten minutes during the seven days prior to being surveyed (39.6%, 95% CI = 32.3%–47.4% vs. 50.8%, 95% CI = 49.9%–51.7%). The percentage of individuals with active epilepsy (49.8%, 95% CI = 42.0%–57.7%) who reported sleeping an average of 7 or 8 h a day was significantly lower than that of those without epilepsy (61.9%, 95% CI = 61.2%–62.7%). Conclusions Because adults with epilepsy are significantly less likely than adults without epilepsy to engage in recommended levels of physical activity and to get the encouraged amount of sleep for optimal health and well-being, promoting more safe physical activity and improved sleep quality is necessary among adults with epilepsy. Ending tobacco use and maintaining low levels of alcohol consumption would also better the health of adults with epilepsy.

Vascular, inflammatory, and metabolic factors associated with cognition in aging persons with chronic epilepsy

“…17,19 This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged including the modest sample size, limited but pertinent scope of risk factors, cross-sectional research design, and circumscribed knowledge of lifetime AED use and compliance. 17,19 This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged including the modest sample size, limited but pertinent scope of risk factors, cross-sectional research design, and circumscribed knowledge of lifetime AED use and compliance.…”

“…Furthermore, epidemiologic research has documented a number of health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors (e.g., decreased physical activity, sleep, social interaction) that could lead to issues that should also be considered going forward. 17,19 This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged including the modest sample size, limited but pertinent scope of risk factors, cross-sectional research design, and circumscribed knowledge of lifetime AED use and compliance.…”

How do you exercise with epilepsy? Insights into the barriers and adaptations to successfully exercise with epilepsy

“…Recent qualitative research has confirmed these benefits of exercise, with participants voicing that exercise increases their physical health, decreases stress levels, increases self-esteem, positively impacts mood, and improves QoL overall [4,5]. Although both qualitative and quantitative research have presented the positive impact of sports and exercise for a person with epilepsy [1-3, 5, 6], the prevalence of regular exercise for a person with epilepsy is lower compared to the general public [7], as there are still common barriers (both physical and psychosocial) that prevent many PWE from feeling the benefits of exercise [4,5,8]. The main barriers to sports and exercise reported are fear of the seizure occurring [4,8], fear of seizure-related injuries [9], stigma [5,10] and incorrect advice from medical professionals [4,5,11,12,13].…”

How can transition to adult care be best orchestrated for adolescents with epilepsy?

“…36 The 2010 National Health Survey in the United States reported that in preceding week only 39% of people with epilepsy had walked for ≥10 minutes per day, compared to 50% of the general population. 39 Not surprisingly, another study indicated that compared with siblings, adolescents with epilepsy were less likely to be involved in sport groups or engaged in physical activity, and more likely to be overweight and obese. 40 On the positive side, people with epilepsy in Arizona who had regular physical activities had fewer activity limited days.…”