Physiotherapeutic interventions and physical activity for children in Northern Sweden with cerebral palsy: a register study from equity and gender perspectives
2017 (English)In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 10, article id 1272236
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background: Young people with disabilities, especially physical disabilities, report worse health than others. This may be because of the disability, lower levels of physical activity, and discrimination. For children with cerebral palsy, access to physiotherapy and physical activity is a crucial prerequisite for good health and function. To date, there is limited knowledge regarding potential gender bias and inequity in habilitation services.
Objectives: To map how physiotherapeutic interventions (PTI), physical leisure activity, and physical education are allocated for children with cerebral palsy regarding sex, age, level of gross motor function, and county council affiliation. This was done from a gender and equity perspective.
Methods: A register study using data from the Cerebral Palsy follow-Up Program (CPUP). Data included 313 children ≤18 years with cerebral palsy from the five northern counties in Sweden during 2013. Motor impairment of the children was classified according to the expanded and revised Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
Results: In three county councils, boys received more physiotherapy interventions and received them more frequently than girls did. Differences between county councils were seen for frequency and reasons for physiotherapy interventions (p < 0.001). The physiotherapist was involved more often with children who had lower motor function and with children who had low physical leisure activity. Children with lower motor function level participated in physical leisure activity less often than children with less motor impairment (p < 0.001). Boys participated more frequently in physical education than did girls (p = 0.028).
Conclusion: Gender and county council affiliation affect the distribution of physiotherapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy, and there are associations between gender and physical activity. Thus, the intervention is not always determined by the needs of the child or the degree of impairment. A gender-bias is indicated. Further studies are needed to ensure fair interventions.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. Vol. 10, article id 1272236
Keywords [en]
youth, adolescent, children, disability, cerebral palsy, habilitation, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, physical activity, gender, gender bias, equal care, equity in health, CPUP registry, register study, Sweden
Keywords [sv]
barn, ungdomar, cerebral pares, habilitering, rehabilitering, fysioterapi, fysisk aktivitet, skolidrott, genus, genusbias, jämlilk vård, CPUP, registerstudie
National Category
Physiotherapy Gender Studies Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Research subject
Physiotherapy; gender studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-130698DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2017.1272236ISI: 000417200100002PubMedID: 28219314Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85036581720OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-130698DiVA, id: diva2:1069478
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 344-2011-5478
Note
Supplement 2. Special issue: Gender and Health Inequalities: Intersections with other relevant axes of oppression
Författarna tackar Umeå centrum för genusstudier (UCGS).
2017-01-292017-01-272025-02-11Bibliographically approved