Impact of physical therapy services on caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Saudi Arabia

Moroj Filimban, Mohammed Alghamdi, Eman Almalki
Purpose:

To explore whether physical therapy services contribute to ease or burden of caregiving for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods:

98 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy recruited from different regions in Saudi Arabia. Caregivers completed a survey on the physical therapy (PT) services delivered to the child, difficulties experienced by the caregiver when receiving PT services, and impact of PT services on social, financial, psychological and physical health of caregiver. Descriptive, comparative and correlational analyses were used.

Results:

Costs of therapy sessions and availability of transportation were rated as “high difficulty” by 45% and 36% of caregivers, respectively. Majority of caregivers agreed that adherence to PT sessions contributed to caregiving burden as follows: financial (78%), physical (69%), and social (64%) and psychological (47%).

Child’s age, status of PT services, type of physical therapy and household income influenced challenges encountered by caregivers. Among all characteristics, household income was negatively associated with psychological (r=0.212) and physical burden (r=0.210), whereas caregiver’s age was correlated only with social participation (r=0.269).

Conclusion(s):

Findings suggest that aspects of PT services may contribute to caregiving burden for caregivers of children with CP. Physical therapists are encouraged to offer guidance and assistance in order to reduce difficulties encountered by caregivers.

Implications:

Health professionals are encouraged to focus on addressing the needs of caregiving to provide individualized assistance, either a psychological support programs to help in managing and coping with their children’s conditions, or physical support by providing assistive devices and orthosis for a better child outcome. 

Physiotherapists are encouraged to offer guidance and assistance in order to reduce difficulties encountered by caregivers. additionally, physiotherapists are encouraged to emphasize on active engagement of families in setting goals to ease caregiving and enhance participation of caregiver and children.

Overall, the study's results can lead to a more caregiver-centered approach in physiotherapy, ensuring that both the needs of the patients and the challenges of their caregivers are addressed effectively.

Funding acknowledgements:
This project was conducted without external funding or financial support.
Keywords:
Caregiving burden
Cerebral palsy
Caregiver
Primary topic:
Paediatrics: cerebral palsy
Second topic:
Disability and rehabilitation
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Ethics was approved by The Biomedical Research Ethics Committee at Umm Al-Qura University.
Provide the ethics approval number:
Approval No. HAPO- 02-K-012-2021-02-565
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
Yes

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