Peer-reviewed article
Factors Influencing Attendance to Physical Therapy Services Among Children with Cerebral Palsy in Saudi Arabia.
Alghamdi MS, Awali A, Alshehri MA, Alonazi M, Alenazi AM ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined why caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Saudi Arabia attend physical therapy services regularly or irregularly. Among 108 families, 43% attended regularly. The research found that younger children and those not enrolled in school were more likely to attend regularly. Families who skipped or missed appointments reported difficulties with booking policies, accessing therapists, managing their child's behavior, and the financial and emotional stress of treatment.
Key points
- Only 42.6% of children with cerebral palsy attended physical therapy services regularly
- Younger age of children was associated with regular attendance (p = 0.003)
- Irregular attendees reported greater difficulties with appointment booking policies, therapist access, and agreement on treatment plans
- Financial and psychological burden were higher among families with irregular attendance
- Demographic and clinical factors (child sex, severity level, type of cerebral palsy) did not predict attendance
Limitations
The study uses caregiver self-report rather than objective attendance records, and the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation, only associations. The findings are specific to Saudi Arabia and may not generalize to other settings.
Abstract
Objective To examine child, caregiver, and physical therapy (PT) service-related factors associated with regular versus irregular attendance to PT services among children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 108 caregivers of children with CP aged 2-12 years in Saudi Arabia. Caregivers completed an online survey about child and caregiver characteristics, PT characteristics, perceived difficulties related to PT services, and caregiver-reported burden. Attendance was categorized as regular or irregular based on caregiver report and differences were examined. Regular attendance reflected consistent participation in scheduled sessions, whereas irregular attendance reflected missed, delayed, or inconsistent attendance. Results Regular attendance was reported by 42.6% of participants. Regular attendance was associated with younger age of children (p = 0.003, d= 0.59) and lack of children's educational enrollment (p = 0.014, φ = 0.24). No significant differences were found between groups for child sex, Gross Motor Function Classification System level, CP type, caregiver characteristics, or PT service characteristics. Irregular attendees reported greater difficulties related to appointment booking policies (r = 0.30), access to therapists (r = 0.26), agreement on treatment plans (r = 0.22), child behavior management (r = 0.25), and caregiver-child interaction during home exercises (r = 0.29), as well as higher financial (r = 0.21) and psychological burden (r = 0.19). Conclusion Attendance to PT services for children with CP was associated more with caregiver-perceived difficulties and burden than with demographic or service characteristics. Addressing service processes and caregiver experiences may support more consistent PT attendance.