Strong Neighborhood Support May Boost Exercise In Inactive Epilepsy

What was studied

This study looked at whether people with active epilepsy or inactive epilepsy were meeting aerobic exercise guidelines, and whether neighborhood social cohesion was related to this association. The researchers used data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey from 2013, 2015, and 2017.

The analysis included 1,410 people with epilepsy. The exercise goal was at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a similar mix each week. The researchers compared activity levels by epilepsy status and by neighborhood social cohesion, which refers to how much people feel their neighborhood is close-knit, helpful, and trustworthy.

What they found

People with active epilepsy were less likely than people with inactive epilepsy to meet aerobic exercise guidelines. After adjustment, about one-third of people with active epilepsy met the guideline whether neighborhood social cohesion was low or high.

For people with inactive epilepsy, neighborhood social cohesion appeared to matter more. About 34.4% with low neighborhood social cohesion met the guideline, compared with 56.1% with high neighborhood social cohesion. This moderating effect remained significant in a sensitivity analysis using propensity score matching.

In simple terms, higher neighborhood social cohesion was associated with higher physical activity only in the subgroup with inactive epilepsy, not in those with active epilepsy.

Limits of the evidence

This was an observational study, so it cannot show that neighborhood social cohesion caused differences in exercise. Other factors may have influenced the results.

The study used survey data, and the abstract does not specify measurement details, so epilepsy status, neighborhood social cohesion, and physical activity may be subject to reporting error. The abstract also does not give details about age groups, seizure types, treatment, disability level, or other barriers that might affect exercise.

The results apply to this U.S. survey sample and may not be the same in every community. Also, the abstract does not explain why neighborhood social cohesion was associated with higher activity only among people with inactive epilepsy.

For families and caregivers

This study suggests that social surroundings may be related to exercise for some people with epilepsy, especially those with inactive epilepsy. A connected neighborhood may be linked with being more active in that group.

For people with active epilepsy, neighborhood social cohesion was not associated with higher activity in this study. For families, this may be a reminder that physical activity can be influenced by both health factors and the social environment.

What to watch next

Stronger evidence would come from studies that test whether community support programs are associated with increased physical activity among people with epilepsy, including those with active epilepsy.

Terms in this summary

active epilepsy

A category of epilepsy status used in the study; the abstract does not provide the exact definition.

inactive epilepsy

A category of epilepsy status used in the study; the abstract does not provide the exact definition.

aerobic physical activity guidelines

Exercise goals defined here as at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent combination each week.

moderate-intensity activity

Activity that requires a moderate level of effort.

vigorous-intensity activity

Activity that requires a high level of effort.

neighborhood social cohesion

How much people feel their neighborhood is supportive, connected, and trustworthy.

odds ratio

A measure researchers use to compare how likely one group is to have an outcome compared with another group.

propensity score matching

A statistical method used as a sensitivity analysis to make comparison groups more similar and see whether the findings remain.