Participação e ambiente de crianças e adolescentes com paralisia cerebral no município de Governador Valadares: um estudo descritivo

Abstract

Introduction: Children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP) may experience participation restrictions and activity limitations, which are influenced by the environment, acting as either a facilitator or a barrier to the individual's performance. Objective: To analyze participation and the community environment of children and adolescents with CP residing in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais. Methodology: Exploratory cross-sectional observational study linked to the multicenter PartiCipa Brazil project, conducted with children and adolescents with CP up to 17 years old, residing in Governador Valadares. Variables related to participation, environmental factors, body structure and function, and functional classification were analyzed using the following instruments: the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY), the Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM), a questionnaire based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) – family-report version. Results: Forty-five children and adolescents with CP participated, 60% of whom were male, with a mean age of 7.53 years (± 3.80). All participants responded to the ICF-based questionnaire; most were classified as GMFCS level V and had spastic CP. Additionally, 18 participants completed the PEM-CY, and 8 participants completed the YC-PEM. The PEM-CY revealed an average participation frequency of 4.48 for older children and adolescents, while the YC-PEM showed an average frequency of 4.13 for younger children. Younger children engaged in a greater number of activities compared to older children. Regarding involvement, both groups presented high scores. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with CP demonstrated good frequency and involvement in community activities; however, caregivers of older children and adolescents reported a greater desire for change in participation and noted a lower number of activities performed. Although functional level (GMFCS) influenced participation, the data indicate that age progression has a more significant impact on participation reduction.