The Impact of Participation on Body Functions Among Youth With Physical Disabilities

Summary

Youth with physical disabilities experience greater limitations to participation in community- based activities than do their average-developing peers, which can result in poor health outcomes. Emerging treatment approaches aimed at improving activity and participation have shifted from focusing only on impaired body functions towards the performance of functionally meaningful activities within the youth's natural environment. It is unclear; however, whether targeting intervention at the activity/participation level can simultaneously result in improvement of personal functional skills (e.g., reaching) and body functions (e.g., range of motion, balance) - components known to worsen with age and, thus, important to address and maintain within the rehabilitation process. Our team has partnered with key community-based stakeholders including youth, clinicians and policy-makers, and together we plan to examine whether engaging in an 8-week self-chosen community-based activity (e.g., sledge hockey, boccia) can lead to a significant improvement in three key body functions: motor, cognitive and affective. Thirty youth with physical disabilities will take part in the study and engage in an activity program of their choice. Changes in their body functions (e.g., movement, attention, mood) will be measured multiple times before, during and after engagement in the chosen activity/program. Findings of this study can guide clinicians, families and policy-makers to select effective approaches that not only promote participation but also facilitate additional motor and mental benefits from one single intervention. Such treatment approaches may also reduce the burden on the healthcare system as well as on the youth and families. Moreover, findings can advance our understanding of methods for testing complex and unique 'real-life' individual-based interventions that are highly relevant to practice.

Conditions

• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina Bifida
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Engagement in a 8-week community-based activity program

Participants engage in a 8-week community-based activity program of their choice. In order to engage in the selected activity, an Occupational Therapist (OT) will meet with each youth in their home. Using the PREP 5 steps (Make goals; Map out a plan; Make it happen; Measure the process and outcomes; Move forward) the youth will choose a community program. The OT will then search for the appropriate program, identify and remove potential environmental barriers for participation in that activity (e.g., accessibility, equipment) and educate program instructors regarding the youth's specific needs. This process, which includes up to 12 hours of working with the OT, will set the stage for enrolment of the youth in a community program for a period of 8 weeks - the actual intervention phase. Other Names: • Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• McMaster University

  collaborator OTHER

• Drexel University

  collaborator OTHER

• McGill University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dana Anaby, PhD · McGill University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

15 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-08-24

Primary Completion

2022-05-24

Completion

2023-10-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations