Quality of life and its predicting factors for Tunisian children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) can cause motor, sensory, perceptual, cognitive, communication and behavioural disorders. The complexity of this condition justifies measuring the quality of life (QOL) of children with CP. This measurement depends on personal and socio-economic factors, hence the relevance of performing it in our cultural context of Tunisia.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the QOL of Tunisian children with CP and to identify predictive factors for QOL.

Method: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire (the CP QOL-Child) was employed. It included 68 children with CP and their parents who consulted the outpatient clinics of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the University Hospital of Sahloul Sousse.

Results: The QOL of children with CP was altered, and the mean total score for the CP QOL-Child was 59.3 (± 14). All domains were affected by this alteration. Six predictive factors for lowered QOL in children with CP were identified, namely age older than 6 years, swallowing disorders, more intense chronic pain, greater level of motor impairment, the use of botulinum toxin injection and the absence of verbal communication.

Conclusion: Intervention with children with CP must be mindful of their altered QOL. Five out of the six predictive factors of QOL are modifiable through a multidisciplinary approach within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Contribution: The multiplicity of the factors associated with QOL revealed by this study incites clinicians to adopt the ICF approach by displaying its practical implications on the efficiency of the medical intervention.