EFFECT OF EXERCISE ON HEALTH AND BURDEN OF MOTHERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is considered the most common physical disability in childhood. This disease profoundly affects the health and well-being of affected individuals and can influence multiple aspects of the life of their caregivers, especially mothers. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a resistance training program on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of mothers of children and adolescents with CP. Methods: Twenty-four sedentary mothers caregivers of children and adolescents with CP, able to practice resistance training, participated in a resistance training program of moderate intensity of 2 sessions per week for 12 weeks. All participants answered to HRQoL questionnaire, SF-36, Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before and after the intervention program. The scores of the questionnaires before and after the intervention were compared using the Wilcoxon test and the magnitude of the differences was measured by effect size. Results: The median age of the mothers was 41 years, ranging from 18 to 58 years. The median age of children and adolescents was 14 years, ranging from 3 to 21 years. The SF-36 scores were significantly higher after the intervention (p<0.05), except in the domains physical aspects and emotional aspects, which already scored the highest value before the intervention. CBS and BDI scores were significantly reduced after intervention (p<0.05). Conclusion: The regular practice of resistance training has a positive impact on HRQoL, burden perception and intensity of depressive symptoms of mothers caregivers of children and adolescents with CP.