Functional level of young adults with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Objective: To acquire insight into the level of functioning of young adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Setting: Rehabilitation Centre Den Haag, The Netherlands.

Method: A structured questionnaire, including the Barthel Index was mailed to 134 young adults (aged 21–31 years) with cerebral palsy.

Results: Eighty subjects responded (60%). Of these, 60 (75%) were largely or fully independent in activities of daily living, 72 (90%) moved independently indoors, 56 (70%) outdoors. In 67 (77.5%) of the group the level of communication was adequate for telephone conversation. Twenty-four (30%) lived with their parents, 10 (12.5%) with a partner and 26 (32.5%) lived alone. Almost half lived in an unadapted house. Forty-two (53%) completed some form of secondary education and 29 (36.3%) had paid employment.

Conclusion: Despite their considerable impairments, the large majority of this group of young adults with cerebral palsy are independent in activities of daily living, mobility and communication. Regarding the level of education, participation in paid employment and sports activities, however, young adults with CP are poorly integrated.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bax MCO , Smyth DPL , Thomas AP . Health care of physically handicapped young adults. BMJ 1988; 296: 1153–1155.

Hill AE . Problems in relation to independent living: a retrospective study of physical disabled school-leavers. Dev Med Child Neurol 1993; 35: 1111–1115.

Hirst MA . Young people with disabilities: what happens after 16? Child 1983; 9: 273–284.

Stevenson CJ , Pharoah POD , Stevenson R . Cerebral palsy – the transition from youth to adulthood. Dev Med Child Neurol 1997; 39: 336–342.

Thomas A , Bax M , Coombes K , Goldson E , Smyth D , Whitmore K . The health and social needs of physically handicapped young adults: are they being met by the statutory services? Dev Med Child Neurol 1985; 50(suppl): 1–20.

Murphy KP , Molnar GE , Lankasky K . Medical and functional status of adults with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 1995; 37: 1075–1084.

Turk MA , Geremski CA , Rosenbaum PF , Weber RJ . The health status of women with cerebral palsy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1997; 78: S10–S17.

Edebol-Tysk K . Evaluation of care-load for individuals with spastic tetraplegia. Dev Med Child Neurol 1989; 31: 737–745.

Barabas G , Matthews W , Zumoff P . Care-load for children and young adults with severe cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 1992; 34: 979–984.

10.

Blum RW , Resnick MD , Nelson R . Family and peer issues among adolescents with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Pediatrics 1991; 88: 280–285.

11.

Kokkonen J , Saukkonen AL , Timonen E , Serlo W , Kinnunen P . Social outcome of handicapped children as adults. Dev Med Child Neurol 1991; 33: 1095–1100.

12.

O'Grady RS , Crain LS , Kohn J . The prediction of long-term functional outcomes of children with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 1995; 37: 997–1005.

13.

Gompertz P , Pound P , Ebrahim S . A postal version of the Barthel Index. Clin Rehabil 1994; 8: 233–239.

14.

Hagberg B , Hagberg G , Olow I . The changing panorama of cerebral palsy in Sweden. IV Epidemiological trends 1958–1978. Acta Pediatr Scand 1984; 73: 433–440.

15.

Grimby G , Andren E , Holmgren E , Wright B , Linacre JM , Sundh V . Structure of a combination of Functional Independence Measure and Instrumental Activity Measure items in community-living persons: A study of individuals with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1996; 77: 1109–1114.

16.

Lepage C , Noreau L , Bernard PM , Fougeyrolas P . Profile of handicap situations in children with cerebral palsy. Scand J Rehabil Med 1998; 30: 263–272.