title: Diet, exercise, sleep, sexual activity, and perceived stress in people with epilepsy in NE Thailand.
abstract: The aim of this study was to find out how people with epilepsy in NE Thailand feel about their levels of stress, sleep, diet, exercise habits, and sex lives using a cross-sectional design. Two hundred and three people with epilepsy (PWE) were randomly recruited from a university epilepsy clinic in Khon Kaen and then completed an interview and a questionnaire. A total of 27.6% of the patients believed that diet had an influence on their epilepsy (of those who reported changes, 41.1% stopped consuming alcohol, while 32.1% stopped drinking caffeinated beverages). A total of 47.2% of the patients exercised at least three times per week, while 52.8% exercised two times or less a week. Daytime sleeping was prevalent, with 43.3% saying that they slept during the day frequently or every day. There were 44.3% of the patients who believed that their sex lives changed after the onset of epilepsy, with decreased sexual arousal being most commonly mentioned. A total of 76.4% of the patients said that they had medium or high levels of stress, and epilepsy was listed as the most common reason for their stress (50.2%). Focusing on the problem was the most common method to reduce stress (80.3%). The findings illuminate the need to increase attention towards improving and promoting self-management of epilepsy. As a whole, diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, and sex therapy can be valuable tools to improve the quality of life of people with epilepsy.
authors: Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
authors: Jiamjit
authors: J
authors: Saengsuwan
authors: Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
authors: Suwanna
authors: S
authors: Boonyaleepan
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
authors: Somsak
authors: S
authors: Tiamkao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012648:Self Care; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behaviors; Epilepsy; People with epilepsy; Quality of life; Stress