title: Change in residential remoteness during the first 5 years of life in an Australian cerebral palsy cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if families of children with cerebral palsy living in Australia move to less remote areas between birth and 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children on the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (n=3399) born 1996 to 2005, were assigned a remoteness value for family residence at birth and 5 years using a modification of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. Each value at birth was subtracted from the value at 5 years yielding a positive difference if they moved more remotely, negative difference if they moved less remotely and a value of zero if they did not move or moved to an equally remote residence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The small net increase in remoteness across this cohort was non-significant (p=0.43). Fifty-seven per cent of families changed postcode but only 20% changed remoteness, 11% more remotely, and 9% less remotely. There was a small trend for families with a child with more impaired gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V) to move to a less remote area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This cohort of families with children with cerebral palsy did not appear to move to less remote areas by age 5 years. Remoteness at birth and level of gross motor function seem to have little effect.
authors: Queensland Cerebral Palsy Register, CPL - Choice, Passion, Life, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: DeLacy
authors: Queensland Cerebral Palsy Register, CPL - Choice, Passion, Life, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors: Christalla
authors: C
authors: Louca
authors: Cerebral Palsy Alliance, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Hayley
authors: H
authors: Smithers-Sheedy
authors: Cerebral Palsy Alliance, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: McIntyre
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011153:Population; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index