Eating behavior problems in children with epilepsy (6-16 years): A cross-sectional comparative study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of eating behavior disorders in children and adolescents aged 6–16 years diagnosed with epilepsy, and to compare this risk with that of healthy controls without epilepsy, in order to elucidate the impact of epilepsy on eating behaviors. Materials and Methods: The study included 78 patients diagnosed with epilepsy who presented to the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic of Balıkesir University Health Practice and Research Hospital between November 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025, along with 62 age-matched healthy controls without epilepsy and with normal neurological examinations. The diagnosis of epilepsy was established according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria. Both groups completed the validated Turkish version of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). Clinical characteristics of the epilepsy group, including age, sex, seizure type, epilepsy duration, seizure frequency and antiseizure medications (ASMs) use, were also evaluated. Results: No statistically significant differences in eating behavior scores were observed between children with epilepsy and healthy controls (p > 0,05). Furthermore, eating behavior was not significantly associated with epilepsy duration, seizure type or antiseizure medication use. When the epilepsy group was examined within itself, differences in eating behavior were observed between genders. (p < 0,05). Conclusion: In this study, eating behaviors assessed by the CEBQ didn't different between children with epilepsy and healthy controls, nor were they associated with epilepsy-related clinical characteristics. However, gender-related changes in eating behavior have been observed in the epilepsy group. Large-scale studies are needed to investigate this situation.