Partizipation von 8- bis 12-jährigen Kindern mit Zerebralparese in Schleswig-Holstein: Welche Einschränkungen bestehen bei Alltags- und Freizeitaktivitäten im Vergleich zu anderen Kindern?

Aim of the study: Participation, defined as the ability to be involved in social situations in society, is an important outcome for children to maximize their development potential but little is known about the frequency of participation of disabled children. This study investigated how participation varied between children with cerebral palsy and the general population and how personal factors influenced the frequency of participation. Methods: In this study children between 8 and12 years of age with diagnosed cerebral palsy, born in Schleswig-Holstein, a northern region in Germany were included and recruitment was through primary care physicians. Healthy school children from a number of regional schools in Schleswig-Holstein served as a collective for comparative data. Information was obtained on age, sex, social status and pain in all children and on the level of motor and cognitive impairment in children with cerebral palsy. To measure participation in everyday activities the 'Frequency of Participation Questionnaire' developed from the Life-H instrument was used. Results: A total of 73 children with cerebral palsy and 1,092 school children participated in the study. Both groups were similar regarding age, sex and social status. Children with cerebral palsy suffered pain more often and more intensely. Children with cerebral palsy with pain and those with more severely impaired walking skills and cognitive abilities reported a lower participation in general. The 'Frequency of Participation Questionnaire' demonstrated significant differences in participation in 8 out of 14 questions, with less participation in 7 out of 8 tested activities for children with cerebral palsy independent of age or sex. Conclusion: Children with cerebral palsy participated less frequently in many but not all areas of everyday life, compared with children from the general population.