ArticleMalawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi2015
Factors contributing to defaulting scheduled therapy sessions by caregivers of children with congenital disabilities.
Article in Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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8 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical characteristics and outcomes of referrals for speech and language delay to the Speech Therapy and Audiology department at a district hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2026Article
- Practical insights for enhancing primary care rehabilitation services in low-resource contexts.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025Article
- Accessibility of occupational therapy treatment for at-risk children in low- to middle-income countries: A scoping review.African journal of disability · 2025Review
- Requirements for and Barriers to Rehabilitation Services for Children With Disabilities in Middle- and High-Income Countries: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2024Article
- Pepea Pamoja:Child: care, health and development · 2024Article
- 'I bring her up with love:' Perspectives of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental delays in western Kenya.Child: care, health and development · 2023Article
- Understanding Barriers to the Access to Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services: A Qualitative Study with Mothers or Female Caregivers of Children with a Disability in Indonesia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Barriers and facilitators to healthcare access for children with disabilities in low and middle income sub-Saharan African countries: a scoping review.BMC health services research · 2020Article
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4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDefaulting scheduled rehabilitation therapy may result in increased adverse outcomes such as permanent disability and increased healthcare costs. Concomitantly, there is evidence to suggest that early and continued rehabilitation of children with congenital disabilities can improve outcomes significantly. This study was conducted to determine factors contributing to caregivers' defaulting scheduled rehabilitation therapy sessions.
methodsA descriptive cross sectional study was carried out at Chitungwiza Central Hospital, a tertiary facility offering in and outpatient rehabilitation services in Zimbabwe. Caregivers of children who had congenital disabilities (N=40) and who had a history of defaulting treatment but were available during the data collection period responded to an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were analysed for means and frequencies using STATA 13.
resultsFactors that contributed to caregivers defaulting scheduled therapy included economic constraints (52%), child related factors (43%), caregiver related factors (42%), service centred factors (30%) and psychosocial factors(58%). Majority of the caregivers (98%) were motivated to attend therapy by observable improvements in their children. Other motivators were incentives given in the rehabilitation department (45%), availability of rehabilitation personnel to provide the required services (48%) and psychosocial support from fellow caregivers, families and the rehabilitation staff (68%). Although all the caregivers could not distinguish occupational therapy from physiotherapy services they all reported that therapy was important.
conclusionsA combination of psychosocial, economic, child centred and service centred factors contributed to caregivers defaulting scheduled therapy. Interventions that may potentially improve caregiver attendance to scheduled therapy include community outreach services, efficient rehabilitation service provision at the hospitals, and facilitation of income generating programmes for caregivers.
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