1 - National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal.
2 - University Of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal,
3 - Unidade Funcional de Neonatologia, Área de Pediatria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal.
4 - Calouste Gulbenkian Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation Centre, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- 35th EACD Annual Meeting - Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Introduction: Adolescence has a special uniqueness for persons with cerebral palsy (CP), involving a very wide range of specific challenges for health and participation. This work aims to describe participation indicators in adolescents with CP reassessed within the Portuguese surveillance program.
Patients and Methods: In a “best case scenario” approach, three of Portugal’s regions were selected covering 35% of the 2001-2003 national birth cohort. In addition to the clinical, functional, and school inclusion indicators, new elements were asked for notifiers that included, participation in physical/sports activities or health/social support.
Results: Notifiers retrieve information from 217 of 289 potential participants. 170 (78%) were reassessed, 25 (12%) individuals died, and 22 (10%) individuals changed residence outside selected regions. As expected, no significant differences were found for CP clinical type or functional classifications. 124 (73%) of the reassessed adolescents had some form of health professional regular intervention -physiotherapy (n=99,58%), occupational therapy (n=56,33%), or speech therapy (n= 41,24%).Although not statistically significant, the proportion of adolescents not integrated into the regular education system was higher compared to those registered in childhood (22% vs. 18%). 75 (44%) of the reassessed adolescents attended different sports activities, like swimming (19%), boccia (10%), and horse riding (7%).
Conclusion: Educational opportunities seem to decrease in adolescence for people with CP in Portugal, which implies the study of alternatives that can contribute to the quality of life. Expanding opportunities to participate in other activities deserve special attention, namely those favoring lifelong health indicators, like sports or physical activity.
Relevance for users and families: Illustrates the risks and opportunities of age transitions for people with cerebral palsy.