Titles: Facilitators and Barriers of Active Participation of caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in their Rehabilitation: An Exploratory Study

Abstract Background : Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of permanent disorders of movement and posture, attributed to non-progressive disturbance that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The condition results in long term disability in carrying out activities of daily living (ADL). Thus, it most times required active participation of the caregivers of the children affected in their rehabilitation. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the facilitators and barriers of active participation of caregivers in the rehabilitation of these children. Materials and Methods: The study design used was qualitative indepth interview. The participants consisted of caregivers of children with CP attending Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Specialists Hospital, Kano. The caregivers were sampled and interviewed by one of the researchers until theoretical saturation was attained. A note taker wrote down and recorded responses of the participants using a tape recorder. The data generated from the interview was then transcribed, coded and analyzed using matrix analysis using constant comparative analysis. Results: Forty caregivers with mean age, 27.17±4.46 years participated in the study. The results of the study showed that, the factors that facilitate active participation of caregivers of children with CP in the rehabilitation of their children are improvement in the child’s condition, family support, improvement in the conditions of other children with CP, encouragement from the therapist managing the child, empathy, and cooperation of the child during home programs. The barriers are number of children the caregiver has, caregiver’s occupation and financial resources. Conclusion: Therapists need to help reinforce these facilitators, and devise strategies to help caregivers overcome barriers during rehabilitation of children with CP. For example, since lack of finance is one of the barriers to the caregivers’ active participation in the rehabilitation of their children, there should be a policy on CP rehabilitation that will make rehabilitation services accessible to all children with CP. Similarly, since family support is a facilitator, sharing caregiving rehabilitation tasks among member of the family could help facilitate caregiver activation participation in the rehabilitation of their children with CP.