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Clinical evaluation of disabled children in Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia
Yasser S Al-Ghamdi1, Mohammed I Omer, Mohammed K Khalil
1General Directorate of Health, Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel./Fax. +966 (6) 3231874.
Insights
This study evaluated 111 disabled children in Saudi Arabia, finding severe speech difficulties and malnutrition common. While rehabilitation services are available, families require more support for mobility, nutrition, and communication.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Disability Studies
- Public Health Outreach
Background:
- Outreach programs are crucial for evaluating and managing disabled children.
- Understanding the clinical status and challenges faced by disabled children is essential for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical status of children in an outreach program.
- To identify management challenges and provide recommendations for disabled children.
- To assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation services provided through an outreach program.
Main Methods:
- A detailed clinical evaluation was performed on 111 children using a structured questionnaire.
- Participants were registered at Centers for Disabled Children in Buraidah and Unaizah, Saudi Arabia.
- Data collection occurred in 1998 for children registered since 1994.
Main Results:
- The study included 111 children (51.8% male), with an average age of 72.31 months.
- Diagnostic groups included Cerebral Palsy (CP) (n=41), chromosomal abnormalities (n=36), and miscellaneous (n=34).
- Common issues were severe speech difficulty (88.3%) and severe malnutrition (57%); CP group had more mobility and dependency issues.
Conclusions:
- The outreach program provides comprehensive rehabilitation services to disabled children.
- Families require additional support to enhance children's mobility, nutrition, and communication skills.
- Further interventions are needed to address the specific needs of disabled children and their families.
Objective:
The study was conducted as part of an overall evaluation for an outreach program to evaluate the clinical status of all the participating children, identify management problems, if any, and offer relevant recommendations.
Methods:
All the participating children were subjected to a detailed clinical evaluation using a structured questionnaire developed for the purpose. The subjects of this study were registered in the Center for Disabled Children in Buraidah and Unaizah, Al-Qassim region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted in 1998 to include all registered children in the centers, which were established in 1994.
Results:
One hundred and eleven children were evaluated, 51.8% were males. Average age was 72.31 months (standard deviation 32.99). The children fell into 3 diagnostic groups: Cerebral palsy (CP) group (n=41), chromosomal abnormalities group (n=36) and miscellaneous group (n=34). Mothers were the direct care-givers in 98.1% of cases. The sample as a whole suffered from a number of disabilities, the most common of which was severe speech difficulty (88.3%). Fifty seven percent of the children were severely malnourished. The CP group suffered most, as they were significantly fewer mobiles and more dependants on the care-giver. History of neonatal asphyxia and severe malnutrition at the time of examination were also significantly more common in this group.
Conclusion:
This group of disabled children is enjoying a comprehensive rehabilitation service delivered through an efficient outreach program. It was observed that the families need extra support to improve mobility, nutrition and communication abilities of the participating children.
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