DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000207
Corresponding author:
Alexandra Hristara-Papadopoulou, Department of ATEITh, Associate professor of physiotherapy, Department of physiotherapy, Alexander Technological Educational Institute 21 MikrasAsias St, Kalamaria-Thessaloniki, 55132, GreeceReceived: July 12, 2017; Published: July 20, 2017
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Introduction: Many researchers have focused on the quality of life (QoL) of children with cerebral palsy, but few have been done about the quality of life of parents with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. In addition, less attention has been paid to the contribution of physiotherapy to the quality of life of parents with those children. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of parents with children and adolescents diagnosed with cerebral palsy. A secondary aim was to investigate the contribution of physiotherapy to the everyday life of these parents, namely that the effects of physiotherapy on the child automatically affect the quality of life of the parents.
Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to parents (N=30) at the Developmental Pediatrics Center “Apostolos Fokas”, which belongs to the 1st Pediatric Clinic of the General Hospital of Thessaloniki “Hippocratio”, as well as to a private pediatric physiotherapy center in the Thessaloniki area. The study’s measurement instrument was the specialized quality of life questionnaire for parents with children and adolescents diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which designed by the first author of this dissertation and includes 3 sections (totally, 32 questions).
Results: The results showed that parents have been affected by their child’s disability in different aspects of their everyday lives, such as social and family relationships, economical status and individual well-being. On the other hand, parents are involved in the intervention process and consider that physiotherapy contributes positively to the quality of life by enhancing their child’s functionality.
Conclusion: According to the research hypothesis, the condition of the children, directly, affects the quality of life of parents. However, through the physiotherapeutic approach and, therefore, the functional independence of the child, the quality of life of these parents may improves.
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