title: Function and well-being in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between function and well-being in children with cerebral palsy. To determine this, the authors used validated measures of function (Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire, Gross Motor Function Classification System, Gross Motor Function Measure, and walking speed) and correlated them to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures (Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument, Pediatric Quality of Life instrument). In a cross-sectional study of ambulatory children with mild to moderate cerebral palsy aged 10.2 +/- 3.2 years, mild to moderate decreases in function were found when compared with normative data. As the assessment of HRQOL comprises both functional well-being and psychosocial well-being, the authors decided to specify the aspect of well-being to which they were referring. It was found that the child's function was not correlated to psychosocial well-being. The children with mild cerebral palsy had greater effects on their psychosocial well-being than would be predicted by their functional disability. Functional measures were good at predicting the functional well-being but were weak at predicting the psychosocial arm of well-being.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Los Angeles, CA 90020, USA. marinis.pirpiris@bigpond.com
authors.forename: Marinis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirpiris
authors.forename: Philip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: D'Astous
authors.forename: Chester
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tylkowksi
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Fred J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Dorey
authors.forename: Sheryl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ostendorff
authors.forename: Gilda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Norman Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology