Knowledge and attitudes of Nigerian neurologists towards physical exercises for people with epilepsy; a...

Physical exercises have been found highly beneficial in the care and well-being of people with epilepsy (PWE); however, the lower participation in these activities by PWEs is still observed. Given that neurologists play a big role in guiding treatment and lifestyle recommendations, we assessed the knowledge, and attitudes of neurologists in Nigeria regarding physical exercise for PWEs.

This cross-sectional study consecutively recruited neurologists from selected tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Data were collected using the 22-item Neurologists Knowledge of and Attitudes towards Physical Exercise for People with Epilepsy Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

A total of 82 neurologists (62.2 % male), aged 38.95 ± 7.82 years, participated in the study. Most had less than five years of professional experience (59.8 %), worked in urban areas (58 %), public facilities (45 %), and cared for about five PWE monthly. While 75.6 % knew which sports to recommend, only 13.4 % felt adequately equipped to provide comprehensive exercise guidance. Over half (52.4 %) reported that their patients exercised 3 to more than 5 times weekly, yet 30.5 % never asked about their patients' physical activity habits. Commonly reported barriers to exercise included family overprotection (85.4 %), fear of seizures (82.9 %), low self-esteem (84.1 %), and stigma (80.5 %).

The studied neurologists largely acknowledge the benefits of physical exercise for PWE and frequently encourage participation, their practices are still shaped by lingering fears, limited training, and uncertainties around safety.