title: Relationship of nutritional status to health and societal participation in children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe nutritional status in a population-based sample of children with moderate or severe cerebral palsy (CP) and to explore the relationships between nutritional status and health and functional outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based strategy was used to enroll children with CP at 6 geographic sites. Research assistants performed anthropometric assessment, determined severity of motor impairment, and interviewed caregivers with the Child Health Questionnaire and a questionnaire designed specifically for this study. Anthropometric measures were converted to Z scores and the relationship between health and nutritional status was assessed using regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 235 participants, indicators of malnutrition were common. Poor nutritional status correlated with increased health care utilization (hospitalizations, doctor visits) and decreased participation in usual activities by the child and parent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malnutrition is common in children with moderate or severe CP and associated with poorer health status and limitations in societal participation. Further studies are needed to determine the nature of these associations and how to manage nutrition in children with CP to optimize growth and health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Samson-Fang
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Stallings
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conaway
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Worley
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'donnell
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: W Cameron
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chumlea
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Liptak
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000886:Anthropometry; D002547:Cerebral Palsy; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D013334:Students