Efeito do exercício resistido na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde e sobrecarga de mães de crianças e adolescentes com paralisia cerebral

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is considered the most common physical disability in childhood. This disease profoundly affects the health and well-being of its subjects and can influence multiple aspects of their caregivers, especially mothers. The objective of this study was evaluating the effect of a resistance exercises program on health related quality of life (HRQoL), burden perception and intensity of depressive symptoms of mothers of children and adolescents with CP. Twenty-two sedentary mothers able to practice resistance exercises program, caring for children and adolescents with CP, participated in a resistance exercises program, in 2 sessions per week during 12 weeks, with moderate intensity. All participants answered to the HRQoL questionnaires SF-36, Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before and after the intervention program. The scores obtained in the questionnaires before and after the intervention were compared using the Wilcoxon test and the magnitude of the differences was measured by effect size. The median age of the mothers was 41 years, ranging from 18 to 58 years. The median age of children and adolescents was 14 years, ranging from 3 to 21 years. The SF-36 scores were significantly higher after the intervention (p <0.05), except in role physical and role emotional domains, which already scored the highest value before the intervention. CBS and BDI scores were significantly reduced after intervention (p <0.05). The results showed that the regular practice of resistance exercise has a positive impact in HRQoL, burden perception and intensity of depressive symptoms of mothers caregivers of children and adolescents with PC.