title: Concepts of functioning and health important to children with an obstetric brachial plexus injury: a qualitative study using focus groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to explore and understand the perspectives of children with an obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI) regarding functioning and health, and to create an overview of problems and difficulties that patients encounter in daily life.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a focus group study with 48 children (25 male, 23 female), aged 8 to 18 years, with an OBPI. Eleven open-ended questions regarding problems or difficulties in daily life were asked in group sessions with 4 to 7 children within the same age range. These group sessions were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. All problems and difficulties mentioned in each focus group were linked to corresponding categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children & Youth Version (ICF-CY).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight focus groups were conducted. A total of 143 unique ICF-CY categories were identified. Of these categories, 61 (43%) were related to the ICF-CY component 'activities and participation', 31 (22%) were related to 'body functions', 29 (20%) were related to 'environmental factors', and 22 (15%) were related to 'body structures'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that children with OBPI experience difficulties in all areas of functioning, as well as in both environmental and personal factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sarac
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bastiaansen
authors.forename: Menno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van der Holst
authors.forename: Martijn J A
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Malessy
authors.forename: Rob G H H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Nelissen
authors.forename: Thea P M
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Vliet Vlieland
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012919:Social Behavior