Physical activity and health among adolescents with cerebral palsy in Sweden

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common disorder of movement and posture in children. The disorder results from a non-progressive brain lesion occurring in the fetal or infant brain. Children with CP have challenges with movement, posture, and mobility that last a life time. Few studies describe physical activity and health among adolescents with CP.

The aim of this study was to describe self-related health, physical activity, and body complaints among adolescents with CP in Sweden.

A questionnaire was answered by 64 adolescents with CP, with 143 adolescents without disabilities serving as controls.

Adolescents with CP reported their general health to be better than adolescents without disabilities (p = .001). Adolescents with CP participated less than adolescents without disabilities in sport during recreation time (p = .009). About 19% of adolescents with CP were never or seldom physically active, compared with 8% in the control group (p = .025). A total of 50% of adolescents with CP reported musculoskeletal complaints during the last three months, compared with 69.5% in the control group. There was a correlation between musculoskeletal complaints and self-related health in adolescents with CP (p = .015) but not in the controls.

Adolescents with CP reported their general health to be good. Adolescents with CP were less physically active than adolescents without disabilities. There was a correlation between musculoskeletal complaints and self-related health among adolescents with CP. Further research is needed to determine the cause of the low physical activity among adolescents with CP and also to determine the relationship between musculoskeletal complaints and physical activity.