Quality of Life of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Its Association with Their Physical Activity Levels: A...

Children, caregivers, and physicians may be insufficiently aware of the effect(s) of physical activity levels on the quality of life (QoL) of children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to understand the levels of physical activity of school-age children with CP compared with typically developing (TD) peers, and to examine the relationship between physical activity levels and the QoL of children with CP.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of children with CP and TD children aged 6-12 years. Parents of children with CP completed a four-section survey: demographic information, parent-reported Gross Motor Functional Classification System, physical activity, and the CP-QoL questionnaire. Parents of TD children completed the demographic and physical activity sections. To account for the severity of motor impairment associated with CP, further analysis was conducted to compare QoL between the ambulant and non-ambulant groups of children with CP.

Eighty-two participants were included in the analysis: 42 children with CP and 40 TD children (8.29 ± 1.79 years; 8.35 ± 1.76 years). The lowest QoL domain scores were access to service, pain, and effect(s) of disability. Children with CP reported similar physical activity levels to those of the TD children. Physical activity levels were associated with the general QoL score, and feeling-social domains of QoL.

Our findings support the positive prediction of high physical activity levels with QoL among school-aged children with CP.