Quality of Life of Primary Caregivers of Children With Cerebral Palsy From a Family Perspective.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy is a heterogeneous group of permanent non-progressive disorders affecting the development of movement and posture, varying in severity, interfering with daily activity, and associated with multiple comorbidities. Previous studies in different regions of Saudi Arabia have shown links between caregivers' mental health and children's well-being. However, the lack of such research in the Tabuk region necessitates the development of a new survey to assess caregivers' quality of life in this specific area. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted during 2022-2023. It included the caregivers of Saudi children with cerebral palsy in the Tabuk region. Data was collected using an online questionnaire and was analyzed using the SPSS program (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). RESULTS: The study included 63 participants. Mothers (50.8%) and fathers (46.0%) were the primary caregivers. The comorbidities of cerebral palsy children like seizures (28.6%) and learning difficulties (19.0%) were prevalent for cerebral palsy children. Around 20.6% of participants received home health care. In terms of family quality of life, the majority expressed satisfaction with family interaction, parenting, and emotional well-being, although mixed feelings were observed. CONCLUSION: The majority of caregivers reported satisfaction in various domains of family quality of life, particularly in family interaction and parenting. However, a notable percentage expressed dissatisfaction in some areas, highlighting the complex emotional and practical challenges faced by these caregivers.