LOW BACK DISABILITY IN PRIMARY CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY: COMPARISON WITH HEALTHY CAREGIVERS AND IDENTIFICATION OF PREDICTORS

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare pain, disability, spinal mobility, and quality of life between primary caregivers of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and primary caregivers of healthy children, and to identify predictors of low back disability in primary caregivers of children with CP. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic at Kırşehir Training and Research Hospital. It was conducted among primary caregivers of children with CP and primary caregivers of healthy children. A total of 162 caregivers (83 CP, 79 healthy) were assessed. Pain was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), disability with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), spinal mobility with the Spinal Mouse (sagittal plane and coronal plane), and quality of life with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Group differences were analyzed using independent t-tests and chi-square tests. Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression identified predictors of low back disability in CP caregivers. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: CP caregivers had higher ODI and VAS activity scores and lower NHP scores compared with healthy caregivers (p<0.05). ODI correlated negatively with sagittal plane spinal mobility (r=-0.485, p<0.001) and coronal plane spinal mobility (r=-0.351, p=0.001). Sagittal and coronal plane spinal mobility were independent predictors of low back disability, explaining 27% of the variance. Conclusion: Low back disability and reduced quality of life were significantly higher in primary caregivers of children with CP compared to healthy caregivers. Reduced spinal mobility independently predicts disability, underscoring the importance of spinal mobility interventions and caregiver support programs.

Keywords

• Care Burden
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Quality of Life
• Spinal Mobility

Supporting Institution

There is no supporting institution.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from Selcuk University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2024/111)

Thanks

The authors would like to thank all the caregivers who participated in this study.

SEREBRAL PALSİLİ ÇOCUKLARIN BİRİNCİL BAKIM VERENLERİNDE BEL DİSABİLİTESİ: SAĞLIKLI BAKIM VERENLERLE KARŞILAŞTIRMA VE BELİRLEYİCİ FAKTÖRLERİN İNCELENMESİ

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Serebral Palsili (SP) çocukların birincil bakım verenleri ile sağlıklı çocukların birincil bakım verenleri arasında ağrı, bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığı, omurga mobilitesi ve yaşam kalitesini karşılaştırmayı ve SP’li çocukların birincil bakım verenlerinde bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığının belirleyicilerini ortaya koymayı amaçladı. Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışma, Kırşehir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği’nde gerçekleştirildi. Çalışma, SP’li çocukların birincil bakım verenleri ile sağlıklı çocukların birincil bakım verenleri arasında gerçekleştirildi. Toplam 162 bakım veren (83 SP, 79 sağlıklı) değerlendirildi. Ağrı Görsel Analog Skala (VAS) ile, bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığı Oswestry Disabilite İndeksi (ODİ) ile, omurga mobilitesi Spinal Mouse (sagittal düzlem ve koronal düzlem) ile ve yaşam kalitesi Nottingham Sağlık Profili (NSP) ile ölçüldü. Grup farkları bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve ki-kare testi ile analiz edildi. Pearson korelasyonu ve aşamalı çoklu doğrusal regresyon, SP bakım verenlerinde bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığının yordayıcılarını belirlemek için kullanıldı. Anlamlılık düzeyi p<0,05 olarak belirlendi. Bulgular: SP bakım verenleri, sağlıklı bakım verenlere kıyasla daha yüksek ODI ve VAS aktivite skorlarına ve daha düşük NHP skorlarına sahipti (p<0.05). ODI, sagittal düzlem omurga mobilitesi (r=-0.485, p<0.001) ve koronal düzlem omurga mobilitesi (r=-0.351, p=0.001) ile negatif korelasyon gösterdi. Sagittal ve koronal düzlem omurga mobilitesi, bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığının bağımsız yordayıcıları olup varyansın %27’sini açıkladı. Sonuç: SP'li çocukların birincil bakım verenlerinde bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığı ve yaşam kalitesi düşüklüğü, sağlıklı çocukların bakım verenlerine kıyasla anlamlı derecede daha yüksekti. Azalmış omurga mobilitesi, bel fonksiyon kısıtlılığını bağımsız olarak yordamakta, omurga mobilitesine yönelik müdahalelerin ve bakım veren destek programlarının önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Bakım Yükü
• Kas-İskelet Sistemi Hastalıkları
• Yaşam Kalitesi
• Omurga Mobilitesi

Supporting Institution

Destekleyen kurum bulunmamaktadır.

Ethical Statement

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Girişimsel Olmayan Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulu'ndan (Karar No: 2024/111) etik onay alınmıştır.

Thanks

Yazarlar bu çalışmaya katılan tüm bakım verenlere teşekkür etmektedir.

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