Longitudinal Changes in Physical Caregiving for Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Aims: To determine changes in physical caregiving for parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) over a two-year period based on children’s gross motor function level and age.

Methods: 153 parents of children with CP rated their physical caregiving using the Ease of Caregiving for Children three times over two years. Parents and assessors classified children’s gross motor function using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Physical caregiving was compared at three test times among parents of children grouped by GMFCS level (I, II–III, and IV–V) and age (1.7–5.9 and 6–11 years) using a three-way mixed ANOVA.

Results: Among all analyses, a two-way interaction was found between children’s GMFCS level and test time on ease of caregiving, p < 0.01. Change over two-year period was found for parents of children in level I and II–III, p < 0.01, but not parents of children in levels IV–V. At each test time, parents of children in level I reported the greatest ease of caregiving followed by parents of children in levels II–III, and levels IV–V, who reported the lowest ease of caregiving, p < 0.001.

Conclusions: Findings support evaluation and monitoring of physical caregiving for parents of children with CP over time.

Keywords:

• Cerebral palsy
• longitudinal
• motor function
• physical caregiving

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the On Track study team, participating sites, children and their families.

About the Authors

Mohammed S. Alghamdi, PT, MS, PhD was a doctoral candidate, at the time of the study, in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Drexel University and currently a faculty instructor in the Physical Therapy Department, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.

Lisa A. Chiarello, PT, PhD, FAPTA is Professor and Robert J. Palisano, PT, ScD, FAPTA is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Drexel University.

Sarah W. McCoy, PT, PhD, FAPTA is Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington.

Margo Orlin, PT, PhD, FAPTA is an Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Drexel University.

Ehab M. Abd-Elkafy, PT, MS, PhD is a Professor in the Physical Therapy Department, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-119276) and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (5321).