Knowledge and current practices of physiotherapists on the physical activity and exercise in the rehabilitation of children with epileptic seizures

Abstract Background Physiotherapists play a key role in the rehabilitation of children with epileptic seizures. Regular physical exercise generates psychological and physiological benefits for people with epilepsy. Design This study was a cross-sectional design. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and current practices of physiotherapists on the physical activity and exercise in the rehabilitation of children with epileptic seizures in Nigeria. Methods Physiotherapists with minimum bachelor's degrees were invited to participate in the study using an electronic questionnaire. The subjects (N = 117) answered a questionnaire comprising 33 simple closed-ended questions with three domains: personal information, knowledge, and current practices. Results Out of the 117 physiotherapists, 77.7% (n = 91) had postgraduate degrees, 16.2% (n = 19) had bachelor's degree in physiotherapy, and only 5.9% (n = 7) had Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). The results also indicated that 79.5% (n = 93) of physiotherapists had sufficient knowledge about epilepsy, and 86.3% (n = 101) of physiotherapists were using current skills/physical activity to rehabilitate children with epileptic seizures. Conclusions It was concluded that physiotherapists had sufficient knowledge about epilepsy and were using current skills/physical activity in the rehabilitation of children with epileptic seizures.