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The Effect of Mobility Assistance Dogs on Quality of Life in Children with Physical and Neurological Impairments
Heather Curtin1,2, Ciaran K Simms1, Damien Kiernan2
1Discipline of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering and Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Aims:
To measure the quality of life in children with impaired walking who receive a mobility assistance dog (MAD).
Methods:
The parents of ten children who received a MAD completed the cerebral palsy quality of life questionnaire, before receiving their dog and at one, three, and six-month follow-up. Data were analyzed to assess changes for each participant and to the group.
Results:
The group showed a positive change in the domains of social well-being and acceptance, feelings about functioning, and emotional well-being and self-esteem after six months. Children with less impairment (GMFCS I-II) showed a change in social-wellbeing and acceptance, feelings about functioning, participation, physical health, and emotional-wellbeing and self-esteem after six months. Children with more impairment (GMFCS III-IV) showed no change at any timepoint measured.
Conclusions:
This novel therapeutic area of receiving a MAD demonstrated some positive quality of life changes after six months for a small group of children with impaired walking. These are preliminary findings in a small sample and this intervention would benefit from further study.
