How can nurses improve the care of patients with epilepsy through education on physical activity? A scoping review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. People with epilepsy (PWE) frequently encounter barriers that extend beyond the neurological condition itself. Participation in physical and sports activities is often discouraged due to concerns about seizures, injuries, and safety. In this context, nurses play a central role in epilepsy care. Clinical nurses serve as primary educators for patients and their families, providing instruction on seizure triggers, medication adherence, and lifestyle strategies for managing epilepsy. Although previous studies have examined nurses' knowledge of physical activity in epilepsy, less attention has been given to whether nurses actively recommend physical activity among PWE. This scoping review aimed to summarize the existing literature on nurses' recommendations regarding physical exercise and sports participation for PWE and to identify gaps that may inform future clinical practice and research.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. Additional searches included screening reference lists, manually searching key journals, and searching gray literature databases. The methodology was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis and reported according to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

RESULTS

Six studies met the eligibility criteria. The studies were heterogeneous in design, setting, and purpose, and physical activity was not the primary focus in most of them. Available studies suggest that nurses' recommendations regarding physical activity and sports participation are infrequently documented, and the evidence is insufficient to characterize routine nursing practice.

CONCLUSION

The available evidence is too limited to determine how consistently nurses recommend physical activity or to characterize their knowledge and attitudes in this area. Studies specifically designed to assess nursing practices and to evaluate individualized, family-centered strategies are needed to clarify how nurses can support safe and sustained physical activity among PWE.