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Van Aswegen T.J.1, Potterton J.1
1University of Witwatersrand, Health Sciences - Physiotherapy, Johannesburg, South Africa
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong complex disorder that places multiple burdens on the caregivers. Caregivers of children with CP have high stress levels and poor quality of life which could have a detrimental effect on their children. Addressing the parents' needs is an important aspect when working with children with disabilities.
Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine if an educational intervention, Hambisela, could reduce caregivers' stress levels and improve their quality of life (QoL). Associations between parent's age and educational level, the child's age and level of severity of CP and caregivers stress levels and QoL were investigated.
Methods: Sixteen participants from Mamelodi, a township in South Africa, participated in a quasi-experimental pilot study. The Hambisela programme was presented to them over eight consecutive weeks. Participants completed the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI SF) and the Paediatric Quality of Life Family Impact Module (PedsQLTM FIM) before and after the programme. Initially a demographic questionnaire was completed and the Gross Motor Function Classification System was used to assess the childs level of severity. The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearmans Rank correlation test were used to analyse the data.
Results: No significant differences were found in the participants stress levels (p=0.7) and QoL (p=0.9) before and after completing the programme. A moderate negative correlation (r=-0.5) was found between caregivers education level and stress and a moderate negative correlation (r=-0.5) was found between the caregivers age and QoL.
Conclusion(s): An educational intervention alone, such as Hambisela, is not sufficient to reduce the stress of caregivers of children with CP, or to improve their QoL. Stress is a complex multifactorial construct. In a developing country such as South Africa, social and environmental stressors are significant factors which play a role in these caregivers lives. Holistic interventions addressing all factors contributing to stress, especially social development, ought to be designed for this population.
Implications: Caregivers of children with CP are stressed and have a poor quality of life. When providing therapy to children with CP it is important to include the whole family and to address the needs of the family in order to enrich the childs life.
Funding acknowledgements: SANDTA
Topic: Paediatrics
Ethics approval: WITS Human Research Ethics Committee: M140708
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
