Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

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Goudarzi M, Jalili N, Rasafiyani M, Akbarfahimi N, Mardani B. A Study of Musculoskeletal Pain in Mothers with 4–12 Year‒Old Children with Cerebral Palsy. MEJDS 2013; 3 (1) :1-9
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-300-en.html

Objective: Caregiving of a cerebral palsy child pressurizes the caregivers and this, in turn, influences their physical health. Musculoskeletal pain in mothers of children with cerebral palsy is significantly higher than in mothers of typically normal children. The purpose of this study was to investigate musculoskeletal pain in these mothers and to determine the relevant influential factors. 

Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in Tehran and the method of sampling was convenience sampling. In this study, 70 mothers of children with cerebral palsy completed the Nordic pain questionnaire. Data analysis was done with SPSS‒16 software using logistic regression tests. 

Results: According to the results, mothers of children with cerebral palsy reported musculoskeletal pain more frequently in the lumbar region, shoulders, knees, wrists and fingers respectively. The severity of musculoskeletal pain was more in the lumbar region, knees, wrists, fingers and shoulders. A significant positive relationship was observed between body mass index and GMFCS score of cerebral palsy children and the body mass index of mothers with severity of musculoskeletal pain (p<0.05). However there was no significant relationship between age and body mass index of mothers and age of children with severity of musculoskeletal pain (p>0.05). 

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the higher the body mass index of children and their mothers, and the lower the children’s gross motor function, the more severe the musculoskeletal pain in mothers.