Physical Activity in Childhood Epilepsy - a pilot study (PACE)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Physical Activity in Childhood Epilepsy - a pilot study (PACE)
IRAS ID
268373
Contact name
(Judith) Helen Cross
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Young Epilepsy
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 28 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Anecdotal evidence suggests that children with all forms of epilepsy may be limited in the range and frequency of their physical activity. There is, however, limited research to indicate factors associated with levels of physical activity in children with epilepsy.
Our primary aim is to compare levels of physical activity in secondary school-aged (11-15years) children with ‘active’ epilepsy, and age- and gender-matched healthy controls, using both survey methods and activity trackers (accelerometer).
A secondary aim is to understand factors (e.g. age, gender, seizure related factors, sleep, behaviour-emotional functioning, school learning and parent wellbeing) which may be associated with physical activity, including structured exercise/sports participation, in children with epilepsy.
A third aim is to gather pilot data on physical activity levels in children with epilepsy and explore the feasibility of implementing an intervention to improve levels of physical activity in children with epilepsy.
The study will provide pilot data on levels of physical activity in children with epilepsy in the UK in comparison with age- and gender-matched controls, plus data on possible factors associated with physical activity in this group (e.g. child behaviour and learning, parental wellbeing).
The results of the physical activity questionnaire and activity tracker will provide data on mean levels of physical activity in children with epilepsy which will help estimate sample size for a future intervention study.
We will have data on parental views regarding barriers/facilitators to physical activity in children with epilepsy and on possible interventions to increase physical activity in this group.
We will monitor feasibility of using wearable activity trackers to see if this is an effective way to monitor physical activity in children with epilepsy. We will then use this data to inform a potential intervention study if our data suggest that there is reduced physical activity in children with epilepsy.
Summary of Results
To measure physical activity, the children were asked to wear an accelerometer. This is a waist-worn device that measures how much time the child spends being active and how much time they spend being sedentary. Children and caregivers were also asked to complete a range of measures to assess the child’s behaviour and wellbeing (e.g., mental health, quality of life, sleep, and motor coordination).
Key findings:
• The children with epilepsy and the controls spent a similar amount of time being sedentary. However, children with epilepsy spent less time engaging in physical activity when compared to children without epilepsy.
• 16% children without epilepsy met the Word Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for physical activity compared with 10% of children with epilepsy.
• Among the children with epilepsy, age appeared to affect engagement in physical activity such that younger children spent more time engaging in physical activity.
• Quality of life was related to levels of physical activity, such that children who engaged in more physical activity had a better quality of life.
• Children with epilepsy had more difficulties compared to controls on all measures of function (e.g., mental health, quality of life, sleep, and motor coordination).
Qualitative data
To further our understanding of the ways children with epilepsy currently engage in physical activity, we asked children and their caregivers about the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity:• The children and their caregivers reported a number of barriers to physical activity. These included concerns about seizure safety, general anxiety and anxiety related to seizures, stigma/negative attitudes associated with having epilepsy, tiredness, and lack of physical competence.
• Regarding facilitators of physical activity, children and their caregivers noted better epilepsy education amongst staff (e.g., seizure management/prevention, associated fatigue/tiredness), improvements in societal attitudes towards the condition, flexibility/tailoring of activities to the child’s needs (e.g., need for breaks), and peer support groups (e.g., epilepsy specific activities) as means to encourage engagement in physical activity.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
19/WS/0133
Date of REC Opinion
13 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion