Effect of Supportive Educational Intervention for Mothers of Female Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy on Their Caring Practices

Abstract

Context: Cerebral palsy is a major cause of poor physical, mental, and social health and one of the biggest risk factors for underachievement in later life. Mothers caring for children with disabilities experience several challenges. Parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) must know about the disease and its management to improve the outcome.
Aim: To assess the effect of a supportive educational intervention for mothers of female adolescents with cerebral palsy on their caring practices.

Methods: A quasi-experimental (pre/post-test) design was employed at the neurology outpatient clinic at Pediatric Hospital, Ain Shams University, with a convenience sample of 50 mothers of female adolescents with cerebral palsy. The researcher used two tools: A predesigned questionnaire includes three parts to assess the demographic characteristics of the mothers and their daughters with cerebral palsy and their knowledge regarding the disease. The second tool is a mothers’ reported practice checklist regarding caring for a female adolescent with CP.

Results: There was a highly significant difference between mothers' knowledge about normal physical and physiological needs of adolescents, physical needs and problems of handicaps, menstrual-related discomfort, and premenstrual manifestation between pre and post-intervention at a p-value <0.001 except for problems related to adolescent period. There was a highly significant difference between mothers' reported practice of routine care and routine perineal care during and after menstruation at a p-value <0.001.

Conclusion: Implementing a supportive educational program for mothers regarding the care of their female adolescents with cerebral palsy had a positive effect on their knowledge and reported practice. The study recommended continuous training for mothers related to managing the child's physical needs and psychosocial ones. Future studies to examine the relationship between maternal psychological well-being and CP severity, using standard measures for CP severity. Further studies are needed to assess predictive factors affecting mothers' knowledge and practice regarding the care of an adolescent with cerebral palsy.