Is parental coping associated with the level of function in children with physical disabilities?

The objectives of this study are: (1) to describe parental coping in a cohort of children with physical disabilities (PDs); (2) to determine whether the child's level of function is associated with parental coping; and (3) to explore whether socio-demographic factors such as child's age, maternal education and family structure are associated with parental coping.

Parents of 150 children with PDs were interviewed after being referred to community rehabilitation services. They answered the following: the Coping Health Inventory for Parents, the Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM) and a study questionnaire that addressed socio-demographic characteristics. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the association between level of function and other factors and parental coping.

Mean (SD) age of the children was 40.9 (15.2) months and 64.7% were male. Parental coping scores, measured by the Coping Health Inventory for Parents, indicated that the parents in our study found seeking out social support from community resources useful. Parents of children with moderate to severe dysfunction in mobility (WeeFIM) found coping behaviours related to communicating with the healthcare professionals regarding their child's condition useful (beta coefficient, 2.07; 95% CI, 0.37, 3.78). Greater perceived usefulness of maintaining social support through community resources was associated with lower maternal education, working parents and two-parent families.

These findings underscore the importance of helping parents of children with PDs maintain social support. It is important to help parents understand their child's medical situation, especially those whose children have more severe mobility dysfunction.