Prevalence and Factors Associated with Maternal Stress Among Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

This research aim to identify the prevalence and factors associated with maternal stress among mothers of children with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was performed among 200 mothers of children with cerebral palsy picked up from rural Bangladesh using a simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire divided into various sections and administered by the researchers was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were applied to summarize the respondents’ characteristics, main outcomes (maternal stress levels), and factors associated with maternal stress. The overall prevalence of maternal stress among mothers of children with CP was 56.5%, and the median (IQR) age of respondents was 30 (14), whereas that of the children with CP was 6 (8). Factors associated with a higher prevalence of maternal stress were older mothers, divorced/separated, living in a nuclear family, income, male children, and higher negative family impact (p < 0.05). The factors identified in this study could help to develop policies and strategies to minimize maternal stress associated with parenting children with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladeshi households.