Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Cerebral Palsy (CP) includes a group of disorders specified by long-term inabilities that influence the Quality of Life (QoL) of either patients or their caregivers. The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the QoL of caregivers of CP patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted for one year (June 2017 to July 2018) to evaluate the QoL of caregivers of 4-18 years old cerebral palsy children using a self-structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was utilized in the analysis. A total of 93 caregivers of CP children participated in the study.
In most cases, parents were the caregivers (94.7%), of which mothers were the main care providers (71%). More than half (57.2%) of the caregivers had a low QoL with a mean of 8.98±3.22. Physical health, social health, family and social support, and financial problems showed a significant relationship with the overall quality score of the caregivers of cerebral palsy patients (p<0.05). The Quality of Life of parents of children with CP was influenced in all areas. The average overall QoL scores were considerably lower for caregivers of a child with CP, and mothers were the main care providers in the family. A multidisciplinary team should be involved to provide maximal benefit for the child suffering from CP and improve the health and Quality of Life of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy.
