Exploring participation in family activities among Serbian children with cerebral palsy and children with typical development: diversity, frequency, children’s presence, and engagement

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to characterize the participation in family activities in two groups of children: children with cerebral palsy (CP group) and children with typical development (TD group), with regard to diversity, frequency, children’s presence, and engagement.

Method

The convenience sample of this descriptive and comparative cross-sectional study conducted in Serbia included 48 children with CP and 74 children with TD, aged 7–12 years. Parents completed the Child Participation in Family Activities (Child-PFA) questionnaire. Mann–Whitney U test was used for data analysing.

Results

Children with CP experienced less diverse and less frequent family activities compared to children with TD, with more pronounced differences in the diversity of family activities than in their frequency. In the occurring family activities, children with CP were present in a comparable proportion as children with TD. Once in an activity, children with CP were less engaged.

Conclusions

Our results confirmed that children with CP do not have the same opportunities to participate and be engaged in everyday family life activities as children with TD. Greater efforts are needed to address these differences and facilitate access to and engagement of children with CP in a variety of family activities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• In comparison to children with typical development, family activities are less diverse and less frequent in families of children with cerebral palsy, and children are less engaged, specifically when activities include family’s or children’s social network.

• In line with current practice, this study confirms the importance of addressing opportunities for children with cerebral palsy to be often and more engaged in everyday family life activities.

• Professionals should support a family context that optimizes the engagement of children with cerebral palsy in activities with other family members, thus providing them everyday natural learning opportunities.

Keywords:

• Family activities
• participation
• childhood disability
• cerebral palsy
• family life
• child engagement

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all of the children, families, and professionals who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). The funder was not involved in study design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions.

Additional information

Funding

This study was realized with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, according to the Agreement on the realization and financing of scientific research work of the Scientific Research Organization for 2021.