Correlations between Gross Motor Functions and Health-Related Quality of Life in Thai Children with Spastic Diplegia
Paskorn Sritipsukho MD*,**, Namfon Mahasup PhD***
Affiliation : * Center of Excellent in Applied Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand ** Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand *** Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand
Background : The motor disorders of cerebral palsy (CP) may not only affect children’s functional capacities, but also their
health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Objective : The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between gross motor functions and HRQOL of Thai children
with spastic diplegia.
Material and Method: Fifty children with spastic diplegia were recruited from an outpatient department of Thammasat
University Hospital and Rajanukul Hospital. All participants were measured for gross motor functions by the gross motor
function measure (GMFM-66) and their HRQOL by reports of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL).
Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were used to determine the correlations between dimensional scores of GMFM-66
and PedsQL.
Results : Forty-five of 50 children with spastic diplegia were completely undertaken for both GMFM-66 and PedsQL mea-
sures. The total HRQOL scale score had a fairly significant degree of relationship with the total GMFM score (r = 0.48,
p<0.001). The physical health summary score had a notably moderate to good degree of relationship with the total GMFM
score (r = 0.52, p<0.001). The psychosocial health summary score had a fair degree relationship with the total GMFM score
(r = 0.27, p = 0.076).
Conclusion : The gross motor function tended to correlate with HRQOL in children with spastic diplegia, especially with
regard to the physical aspects of the HRQOL.
Keywords : Spastic diplegia, Cerebral palsy, Gross motor function measure-66, Health-related quality of life, PedsQL, Correlation
