The perception of adolescents with cerebral palsy regarding physical activity

Abstract

There is a decline in physical activity in people with cerebral palsy (CP) and adolescence is noted to be the age group in which the decline begins. Owing to the detrimental consequences of this decline in physical activity, it is important to explore the perceptions of adolescents with CP regarding physical activity in their age group, which was the aim of this study. The objectives of the study were to explore the knowledge of physical activity in adolescents with CP, to explore their attitudes towards physical activity and to explore barriers to physical activity among adolescents with CP. The research study used a qualitative approach, with an exploratory design using focus group discussion as a tool. The study setting was the Adelaide Tambo School for the Physically Challenged in White City, Soweto, Johannesburg in South Africa. Purposeful sampling was used and the inclusion criteria were both males and females aged 10–19 years with CP only, low to mild speech impairment, no cognitive impairment, in grades 5–12 and with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) of 1–4. The exclusion criteria were learners younger than 10 and older than 19 years, learners with other conditions such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, severe speech impairment, cognitive impairment and GMFCS of 5. The data were collected through focus group discussions that consisted of 10–12 learners per session undertaken after school for an hour within the school premises with a total of 34 learners. The data were then recorded and stored securely. The results were analysed using thematic analysis that consists of six stages, namely familiarisation with the data, generating initial codes, generating themes, reviewing potential themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report.